The palms were swaying and the sun was out on Friday - the first day of Coachella - when Olandria Carthen stepped onto the festival grounds for the first time ever. She was checking out Barbie's very pink activation - a mirror mirage with a charm bar, photobooth, and more inside. There was even a larger-than-life hologram with Paris Hilton and Barblandria herself, and seeing Carthen pose with her hologram was uncanny and also downright fabulous. "This entire Coachella, I'm going to be Barblandria, and it's going to be fab," she told Popsugar. "I named this weekend Ochella, because it's my first one and I'm going with Barbie."
But despite being a first-timer, Carthen came prepared. She worked on her packing list for weeks. "It's been a long process," she said. "Mini fans, sunscreen, body glow, mini deodorant, cowboy hats. So many different bandanas. I've been grabbing everything. Press-on nails - I have so many different colors, sizes. And earplugs."
That body glow is a signature beauty look for her - she'll mix together body shimmer, oil, and sunscreen. As she puts it, "You gotta be glistening." And of course, so many of her fans are excited for her outfits. She teased a "scandalous" brown outfit, custom made by Baby Phat, as her favorite look of the whole weekend.
Now that she's actually here, she can fully lean into her Barblandria festival persona. "I feel like my festival vibe is that I'm going to be a dancer. Drink in my hand, dancing to the music." (Her go-to drink, by the way, is a French 75.) She's most excited to see Justin Bieber, who performs on Saturday. She's been a Belieber since childhood and loves his latest albums. "Yukon" is one of her favorite songs; "I love to see him tap into his R&B side," she said.
This Coachella is also special because Carthen brought her two best friends, who have also never been to the festival before, to experience it with her. She said that carving out time for friends and family - and involving them in new experiences like this - has been something she's committed to since she shot to stardom.
"One thing that really surprised me about being famous is how intense this life really is. The amount of dedication and hard work and sacrifices that you have to do to build a brand - it's a lot, and it's tiring," she said. "But I'm making it through and I'm doing it my best. It's an intense lifestyle, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm learning how to adapt."
As for recovery come Monday, rest is going to be key. "I'm going nonstop for the next few days, so I'm going to need to just binge-watch a show and rest in bed," Carthen said. Amen to that.
Lena Felton (she/her) is a senior director of special projects at PS, where she oversees sponsored packages, tentpole projects, and editorial partnerships. Previously, she was an editor at The Washington Post, where she led a team covering issues of gender and identity. She has been working in journalism since 2017, during which time her focus has been feature writing and editing and elevating historically underrepresented voices. Lena has worked for The Atlantic, InStyle, So It Goes, and more.
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