By Gretta Monahan
Wow, have music festivals changed …
Remember when festivals were few and far between? It wasn’t long ago that they were mostly niche events, rather than destination experiences with mainstream appeal — and definitely not an exciting showcase for fashion, food and design.
But that’s all changed. You can give most of the credit for that to Coachella. The California festival has proven over the years that great, daring style and music go hand-in-hand, with its attendees rocking some of the coolest, most fashion-forward outfits — from fringe galore and bare midriffs to bohemian tie-dye skirts and gladiator sandals — and, not to mention, the wildest beauty looks around.
Later this spring in Boston, we’ll see the wonderful festival Boston Calling (everyone from Chance the Rapper to Solange will be there), and this month alone the country’s seeing a slew of awesome festivals — from BUKU Music and Art Project in New Orleans, Gasparilla Music Festival in Tampa, Fla., Beyond Wonderland in San Bernardino, Calif., and, of course, South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.
Most recently, I headed to SXSW, along with the team from my clothing boutique in Wellesley, Grettaluxe, to help bolster the fashion quotient. This year marked the 10th anniversary of my pal Rachael Ray’s “Feedback” party at SXSW, which brings together her love of music and food! This year, she added fashion to the lineup, and we were proud to partner on a one-of-a-kind shop, Moxie.
Moxie was the first lifestyle pop-up shop featuring her favorite artists, interior design pieces, apparel and accessories designers — both local and beyond. The shop included a collection of favorite pieces from her namesake furniture collections and fun items such as spices and housewares — plus daily events ranging from scarf-styling and jewelry-making workshops to artist happy hours.
At Moxie, we spotlit original works by New York’s Leah Tinari and a selection of exclusive prints from 1xRun Gallery in Detroit; clothing by designers such as Chaser, Ganni, IRO, L’Agence and Otte; accessories by Tiro Tiro, These Are Things and Heet. What a blast we had with everyone who stopped by, styling them up and contributing to the cool and carefree vibe in everyone’s wardrobe.
Thanks so much to everyone who joined us! You can find photos and more fun stories at sxsw.com and at rachaelray.com/feedback.
