At this year’s Governors Ball music festival in New York’s Flushing Meadows Corona Park, artists like Olivia Rodrigo, Hozier, and Tyler, the Creator headlined its 15th anniversary and brought fans together in the name of live music. Folks from all walks of life trekked their way through the grounds to catch their favorite artists’ sets, and a constant we picked up on all weekend was the intricacies of their attire. Because let’s be real: fashion fiends and musicheads are the final bosses of festival season.
Whether they were decked out in Doc Martens and sequinned hot shorts to pay homage to O-Rod or rocked Golf Le Fleur to awaken their inner CHROMAKOPIA, fans did not come to play with their looks this year. ICYMI, festival fashion has long evolved from the bohemian chic flower crown era. Attendees pulled out their favorite thrift finds and even put in the work to make their own looks. Some even centered their outfits around a singular beauty product, which made for a wildly impressive turnout.
Naturally, we set up shop on Gov Ball’s festival grounds and caught up with some of music’s best-dressed superfans as we lensed them on Instax film. Spoiler alert: they did not disappoint, so scroll through and get ready to screenshot inspiration for your festival season moodboard.
Jane Collazo, 18
Walk me through your look. How did it come together?
“The whole group went with more 90s influences just to kind of match Tyler, the Creator’s vibe. My sister’s a nail artist and she did them for free. They’re junk inspired.”
Ariana Guilante, 18
How would you describe the vibe of your look?
“Kind of a festival fairy vibe. Woodsy, festival, fairy, and black.”
Kat Lima-Galazka, 21
Can you tell me where some of your pieces are from?
“So, this tank is from the Goodwill bins. It was, like, 50 cents. Not even. The skirt is from when I was a teenager, I think it’s old Forever 21, and my dad got me these sunglasses.”
David Rivkin, 19
Did any artist inspire your outfit today?
“Tyla! I’m South African, like my heritage—my grandmother was born in Port Elizabeth. My cousin actually introduced me to Tyla, and so I’ve been literally in love with her ever since. Then she blew up, so one of the main reasons I came to Gov Ball was to see her, but there’s so many other artists I love. I decided to base my outfit on her.”
Sydnee Pope, 22
What’s a core part of your look?
“I wanted to be a mermaid. NYX came out with their beautiful butter highlighters, and I was like, You know what? I love this bluish green one. I brought it with me because I loved it that much. I was like, yep, that’s gonna be my inspiration.”
Saeed Samra, 20
What sets brought you here this weekend?
“Tyler, the Creator and honestly, The Wasia Project. It was so good and I’m so dumb—I just realized that the pianist is one of the guys in Heartstopper. I lost my shit, bro.”
Beatriz Carvalho, 24
What’s the inspiration behind your look today?
“Stevie Nicks, I love her. I just like this rebellious kind of look, and this dress is from a thrift in Brazil.”
Carlos, 25
Tell me about your love for Tyla and how she brought you here.
“I know she’s a new, breaking artist, and I loved her first song, ‘Water.’ After that, I’d always wanted to follow her, and this is my first concert seeing her.”
Samantha Ratliff, 20
Where did you get your outfit?
“Actually, all of it is thrifted, so I’m not exactly sure where it is all from. But, mostly thrift shops around Brooklyn.”
Trevor Pluff, 21
Describe the inspiration behind your outfit.
“Honestly, my inspiration was something airy, something comfortable, something that just represents me as a person. The cheetah print is something fun, but also still swaggy and chill.”
Abigail Man, 20
I heard you made your outfit. How’d you put it together?
“I made my waist chains, but this entire outfit was planned literally two hours before I left because I don’t like buying new clothes. So, I just pulled whatever I already had.”
Braeden Richard, 21
Did any artist inspire your outfit today?
“I couldn’t really find a country outfit to go for Role Model, so I went out on a whim, found these overalls at Target, and it just worked. The hat’s from my boyfriend’s house, the belt’s from Urban Outfitters, and the Converse are from… Converse!”
Shot on Instax Film. Cameras and Film Provided by Fujifilm. Additional Reporting and production by Tamara Fuentes, Corinne Bickel, and Emily Adar.
Sam is an assistant news editor at Cosmo, covering all things pop culture, entertainment, and celebrity news. She previously covered those same topics along with health, lifestyle, and beauty at Seventeen. When she isn’t catching a concert or live-tweeting awards shows, you can likely find her judging DJ sets at parties.
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