Coachella is always a tumultuous time. From the online discussions about who gets to weekend one to the bohemian outfits, Coachella sparks so much conversation that it’s difficult to sort through it all. This year, much of the talk centers on influencers paying stylists for festival looks and the quality of those outfits. As someone moderately interested in fashion, I am not a fan of the internet acting as the fashion police. Social media is the perfect forum for people to hide behind their screens and dictate what others can or can’t wear solely based on their fashion preferences, and they are often quite blunt about it.
However, the discourse concerning stylists represents the divide between influencers’ financial relatability and their audience. For instance, popular lifestyle influencer Mei Mei (@meimonstaa) made a TikTok before the festival listing all of the fees associated with her Coachella styling. With an $8,000 booking fee and a cost of $5,000 per outfit for the 3-day event, it is clear that the financial cost of Coachella fashion is inconceivable for the average TikTok user. This discussion can lead to productive dialogue about this disconnect. During a time when most Americans struggle financially amid rising living costs and international and domestic political divisions, viewers find it unappealing and distasteful when influencers spend thousands on stylists for a three-day event.
I do have considerable empathy for the struggles that influencers face. Influencers have to constantly balance their rise to fame (and with it, more money) with staying relatable to their fanbase. Given this tension, I think viewers can and should speak up when they sense their favorite influencers are losing touch with the reality we live in. For example, when I saw dozens of TikToks about the extravagance of spending thousands on a stylist alone, I thought this discussion reflected a broader conversation about influencers growing out of their relatable content.
A part of me also wants to empathize with the influencers. For example, when one of my favorite TikTokers, Monet McMichael, started getting invited to celebrity events, her comments were filled with accusations that she had fallen out of touch. My question is: Do viewers expect influencers to turn down the unique opportunities they are given? It is reasonable to become critical of influencers when they take part in opportunities that don’t align with the values on which they’ve built their platforms. However, realistically, if we were influencers and were offered an all-inclusive brand trip, free concert tickets, or accommodations to attend Coachella, why wouldn’t we take it?
The only way for influencers to make social media influencing a more stable career is to continue growing their fanbase, which allows them to connect with brands and make money. Ultimately, it’s a complicated trajectory, and I think it’s difficult to realize that influencers thrive when they brag about their money. Whether intentional or not, the sheer lavishness sets them apart from everyday working people, which makes them an anomaly to us viewers.
In the end, whether their outfits were good or a flop doesn’t matter. What’s more important is how they continue to show up for their “fans.” If that means reading the “financial” room, then so be it. If it means ignoring that room, there will still be people tuning in. This tension is likely to persist as long as influencers remain in the spotlight.
