In the Mood for Heart: coachella

Urban Outfitters Festival Lookbook 2014

I never thought festivals were about standing out. Life is about standing out. However, festivals are a wonderful testing ground for clothes that you were always afraid to wear. Xiang and I are living bravely in our fashion lives but that doesn't mean we don't have fashion fears. We put together some dream boards of what we've been secretly wanting to wear and our secrets are here on display as festival fashion. What better place is there than a music festival to forget about your worries and your normal lives? Throw all inhibitions out the door this summer and do the things you've always wanted to do and let the biggest festivals serve as your excuse.

This year is my first time going to Coachella, and I'm sure it won't be my last time. It was an absolute blast! If you think you need to be very on trend with music and a loyal follower of some indie bands to enjoy Coachella, I'm here to prove you wrong. I am a very passive music consumer and I never follow any bands aggressively or consistently–I barely knew any of the lineup this year, but I had the time of my life being at Coachella. The trick is to go with some fun-loving friends. It sounds cheesy I know, but the absolute best part of being at a music festival is to dance sillily with the friends you adore and sing along to radio hit songs with the band playing live.

These guys made the trip great!

If you are driving to Coachella, you can get some awesome views along the way. Also if you are carpooling with more than 4 people in the car, you have a chance to win lifetime VIP access to Coachella.

View from road trip from SF to LA. Photo by Annie Teng.

Coachella is 3 days of constant concerts from 11am to midnight. There were 6 stages set up and each one had a concert going on with a 20 or 30min interval in between. Like any music festival, at times you had to pick between two of your favorite artists because they could be performing at different stages at the same time. Even a music dummy like me can tell you that a good live performance is 10x times better than a great recording.

James Blake. Photo by Annie Teng.

Unicorns dance during Postal Service performance.

Beach House. Photo by Annie Teng.

Phoenix definitely put up one of the best shows during Coachella.

Besides the music, another big fun factor of Coachella is the fashion. Girls will get their hairs specially done, wear very colorful outfits, and there are some who can definitely pull off the latest edgy high fashion leather accessories. Anything that is too "edgy" or "out there" for normal city life will find its rightful place at Coachella.