celebrities

Theme 31: Coachella 2017. Outfits, parties and celebrities sightseeing.

If you have never been to Coachella, I suggest you to add it to your bucket list! I have been to a few festivals in the UK and the Unites States before, and almost always been very lucky to have premium tickets, and a group of fun friends with me, however NOTHING came even close to Coachella.

I won't lie, Coachella IS EXPENSIVE even if you get general admission tickets and stay in your own tent. But if you like comfort, want to see concerts and your favorite celebrities in their natural habitat, I suggest you splurge on more expensive tickets and fancy hotels. Luckily, Ben with the help of the great SPG Moments team organized a very well-planned, luxurious and pleasant festival trip as a part for our 1-year anniversary.

After spending a couple of days in Los Angeles (I will show you some beautiful pictures we took there in the next post!), we drove to Palm Springs, where we had the most awesome 'Coachella Pad' I could dream of: a beautiful suite at Le Parker Meridien Hotel. Moreover, SPG Moments were able to get us Artist & Guest Coachella wristbands that rarely go on sale for the general public and are quite hard to get. Those tickets grant you access to almost every area on the Coachella grounds, including the Artists area (where all the celebrities hang out), and most importantly you get access to the front row at EVERY concert. 

What amazed me is how well the whole festival was organized and perfectly orchestrated! I can't even imagine how much work it takes organizers to pull off an event on such a grand scale EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

We didn't spend much time in the general admission area as it was way too overwhelming and busy for us, but I was happy with every little detail in the more exclusive areas. A plethora of delicious food choices in the VIP area, clean bathrooms, the most stunning men and women in exotic or just very stylish outfits around me, enjoying themselves, positivity and love spread all over; it was just like finding a little paradise on Earth. Maybe I was lucky, but I didn’t see any drunk or high people, or crazy behavior (well, almost none :)), and the Festival felt like just this one big, happy place with amazing music.

A lot of people are interested in what celebrities I saw at Coachella and if it’s true that they are all around you. I can tell you, it is true and you will definitely be around some sort of celebrity, whether it’s a favorite blogger of yours, Victoria's Secret model or Kendall Jenner, even if you stay in the General Admission area. 

I was skeptical about seeing anyone the first day, but when I was scanning my ticket to enter Coachella, my wrist band (which is your ticket) took a minute to scan, and I felt bad for the guy behind me who seemed to be impatient to get in. It ended up being A$AP Rocky and his crew. After that it was just a blur of different famous people like Drake walking by, the Jenner sisters sipping on their cocktails, Michelle Rodrigues talking loudly to her friends, and being quite unrecognisable in her huge shades, Katy Perry who is surprisingly very tiny, but amazingly gorgeous. I don't really follow celebrity culture, so I was talking/asking this beautiful blonde with a pixie haircut about a cart (the Coachella grounds are so huge, you can actually wait for a cart to take you), and was wondering why she has such a huge entourage, and then realised that it was Katy. It was quite a funny moment :)

Another person we were excited to chat with was Patrick J. Adams (Mike Ross from Suits). I didn't take any pictures with anyone because I believe it is more fun to actually take time to chat with people you admire seeing on screen and get to know their real personalities. They are all just humans (maybe more talented and good looking, but definitely just humans) and want to enjoy themselves. Ask yourself if you would really like to be asked to pose for a picture by strangers every time you go out? 

So by all means go to Coachella and stare at famous people as long as you want, but don't go there hoping to take selfies with Kardashians.

I will take my own selfie, thank you! :)

Coachella is famous for its amazing concerts and a variety of widely-loved artists. This year there were more than 250 artists with Lady Gaga, Radiohead, and Kendrick Lamar as headliners, however Ben and I were most excited about Hans Zimmer! He is one of of my favorite composers of all time, and being in the first row, right in front of the stage and listening to him and a wonderful orchestra of talented musicians play his music from Inception, The Lion King, Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean was so magical, I even teared up at the end. Pharell Williams also made a surprise appearance at Hans Zimmer's concert, which I was pretty stoked about.

First row at Hans Zimmer!

By the way, if you are an influencer or just a very friendly person, chances are you won't just be hanging out at Coachella during the festival weekends. Coachella is almost like a major Fashion Week, with tons of pool parties, big brands' collection launches and promo-events. Without even planning anything ahead, I ended up being invited to tons of exciting events and parties, including big Amex Platinum House event and Popsugar party. So make sure you bring a LOT of outfits. I had to change probably five times a day (sometimes in a car!), and by the end of day 3 I was so exhausted I almost got sick :)


Для моих русскоязычных читателей:


Коачелла - один из самых популярных музыкальных фестивалей в мире. Фестиваль проходит в апреле в два трехдневных этапа (пятница-воскресенье) с разницей в неделю. На Коачелле очень много грандиозных сцен и различных тентов,  что означает что на территории фестиваля в одно и то же время идет несколько концертов и шоу! На одном Weekend'e выступает более 250 очень популярных и знаменитых музыкантов. То есть пока вы смотрите как отжигает Lady Gaga, на другой сцене играет какой-нибудь потрясающий модный DJ,  а в отдалении еще читает реп Drake. Не буду врать,  иногда мы с мужем разрывались не зная на какой именно концерт сходить,  но у нас похожий вкус, так что проблем не возникло.

Коачелла занимает огромную территорию в более 40 гектар, так что переходить от сцены к сцене занимает немалое количество времени, но к счастью если вы обладатель браслета-билета для артистов или VIP зоны,  то вас могут катать по территории специальные гольф-карты с водителями. 

Кстати о билетах, на Коачеллу не так-то легко попасть! Билеты раскупают в считанные часы после релиза (обычно за более чем полугода до фестиваля),  и многим приходится находить перекупщиков или находить какие-то контакты в музыкальной сфере.

Фестиваль для многих из стран СНГ звучит как какой-то дешевый концерт с морем алкоголя,  ночевкой в сыром тенте и прочими "прелестями". На самом деле обычные билеты и место для вашей собственной палатки на специально приспособленной территории фестиваля далеко не дешевые.  Cамый дешевый билет стоит $400 + если хотите поставить свою собственную палатку,  придется платить $60 за то что занимаете место. Прибавьте к этому транспорт (Коачелла находится в часу езды от Palm Springs и почти 3 часа от Лос-Анджелеса), питание и прочее и вы получите довольно внушительную сумму. 

Билеты-браслеты, кстати, значительно отличаются друг от друга. На каждый weekend Коачелла разные по значимости билеты имеют разный цвет. Всего около 4 разновидностей браслетов (к моему сведению): обычные (самые дешевые и есть доступ только к общим зонам), VIP билеты (есть доступ к VIP зонам с большим количеством вкусной еды,  магазинчиков, более свободные бары, рестораны,  больше туалетов + в этой зоне чаще всего тусуются блоггеры и захаживают знаменитости.  Вся VIP зона очень приятная и люди тут все как на подбор красивые,  аккуратные и не ведут себя как сумасшедшие. Здесь более так скажем чинно и благородно чем в Общей Зоне).

Так же есть билеты-браслеты для Звезд и их Гостей и они дают доступ практически ко всему что есть на всей территории Coachella, и вдобавок к VIP зоне с такими билетами можно пройти к зоне где отдыхают знаменитости, их друзья и родственники, приватным садам и озеру, на берегу, которого можно заметить целующихся звездных парочек. Такие билеты обычно практически не продаются, и их можно получить только если ты звезда,  знаешь кого-то важного в музыкальной индустрии или/и готов заплатить за один билет более $3000. Нам с Беном повезло, потому что он приобрел именно такой вот билет через SPG Moments, так как он давно уже член  SPG. С такими билетами у вас просто 0 шансов уйти НЕ УВИДЕВ какую-нибудь звезду первой величины.  Так и мне удалось поболтать с Кэти Перри, которую я в первые секунды разговора даже и не узнала, увидеть сестер Дженнерс попивающих коктейли, толкаться в очереди с ну очень маленькой,  но очень громкой Мишель Родригес, и завести разговор c Патриком Адамсом (Майк Росс из сериала SUITS). Больше всего меня порадовало то,  что с этими билетами можно пройти в огороженную зону прямо перед сценой, и практически каждый концерт мы стояли в первых рядах,  а на Hans Zimmer'a мы пришли пораньше и вообще стояли первые прям перед сценой. 

Так же есть билеты для организаторов фестиваля и людей следящих за тем,  чтобы фестиваль работал как часы. 

Если вы блоггер или просто очень активная и дружелюбная личность, то не думайте,  что вот так вот концертами и отделаетесь :) Фестиваль Коачелла - это ужа почти как Неделя Моды в Париже или в Нью-Йорке с модными брендами устраивающими пресс-релизы, громкие пляжные вечеринки со своим списком именитых звезд и всякие показы новых коллекций за пределами Фестиваля, чаще в Palm Springs. В конце weekend'a Коачелла я просто валилась с ног и чуть не заболела! Это потрясающий опыт и очень благотворно влияет на работу если вы digital influencer, но ужасно изматывает.

Кстати,  если вы все же решились накопить денег и поехать на этот потрясающий фестиваль, бронируйте отель заранее! Отели обычно во время проведения фестиваля просто упомрачительно дорогие,  а если вы хотите остаться в хорошем отеле в  Palm Springs,  то приготовьтесь к небольшому разрыву сердца от увиденной цены :D Для экономии советую посмотреть на сьемные квартиры на AirBnb.

Не стесняйтесь задавать вопросы! Я с удовольствием отвечу. 
 

If you want to see more of our Coachella adventures, subscribe to my new YOUTUBE channel!

I have already uploaded 2 Coachella videos, and part 3 is coming out soon, so make sure you don't miss it! 


Theme 31: Coachella 2017. Best Coachella Outfits Weekend 1

I just came back from my first ever Coachella festival, and it was absolutely amazing! I will tell you more about my personal experiences and give you tips on Palm Springs and the festival in the next post, but for now please enjoy my curated selection of the BEST COACHELLA OUTFITS of 2017 (Weekend 1). 

Blogger Ulia Ali (me!) at Coachella festival 2017. Look 1, Day 1.

Blogger Negin Mirsalehi. Festival look. I love her hairstyle on this one!

Taylor Hill and Lais Ribeiro

Jourdan Dunn and Sigail Currie at Coachella 2017

Chiara Ferragni in a very cute dress enjoying Coachella 2017.

Valentina Ferragni in a cute Tommy Hillfiger Coachella look. 

Emily Ratajkowski and Alexis Ren

Ulia Ali at Popsugar's amazing Coachella pool party. Cabana Club, Palm Springs.

Evelina in her pretty Coachella outfit.

Jessica Wang's Coachella Outfit 2017.

@tamilynichi1@meg_legs and @uliaali at Amex Platinum Party, Parker Hotel, Palm Springs. Coachella 2017.

Beautiful Meg at American Express Party during Coachella festival.

Maja Malnar with another Azerbaijani born blogger (yay!) Ruslana Gee. Coachella Looks 2017.

Xenia Van Der Woodsen at Coachella. I love her look!

Beautiful actress Hailee Steinfeld's sexy Coachella outfit.

Beautiful Mary Leest. One of the best Coachella looks of 2017.

Hottie Sophia Miacova's festival outfit definitely belongs to the list of the Best Coachella looks.

JULIE SARIÑANA aka @sincerelyjules at Coachella 2017 festival. One of the best classic Chella looks.

Josephine Skriver and Elsa Hosk in Indio for Coachella 2017.


 

 

Week 17: Rita Hayworth is a Babe. Her Life and Seductive Style.

Rita Hayworth is one of Old Hollywood's most seductive actresses. Her iconic performance of “Put the Blame on Mame" in Gilda (1946) and improvised quick single-glove striptease is 10 times more erotic than any 50 Shades of Grey scene. Rita wears a long, strapless, black satin gown, with a side-slit and big flirty bow at the hip. And of course, the gown is paired with classic long black gloves. The Independent lists this scene in their Ten Best Fashion Moments in Film.

From film You Were Never Lovelier Columbia Picture (1942) Director: William A. Seiter Screenplay: Michael Fessier, Ernest Songs: by Jerome Kern and Johnny You Were Never Lovelier was Rita's third and last film released in 1942 and her second time as Fred Astaire's dancing partner.

Margarita Cansino before and Rita Hayworth after. What a transformation!

Rita started her life as Margarita Carmen Cansino. Her family had a strong background in professional dance, and so her Spanish father pushed young Margarita to dance and she was featured in several films as a dancer. Her first roles were small ones as pretty exotic dancers with no lines. After playing the same kinds of roles as Argentinian, Egyptian and Russian dancers, Margarita decided to change her fate and took on her mother's Irish-English maiden name Hayworth in order to appeal to Americans. That was followed with shortening her name to Rita, changing her Mediterranean hairline with a painful electrolysis procedure, and dying her black hair to, the now iconic, ginger red colour. After that, Rita's career was on the rise.

Rita acted opposite such stars as Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire and Cary Grant. For three years, beginning in 1944, Rita was named one of the top movie box-office attractions in the world. Hayworth was adept in ballet, tap dance, ballroom, and Spanish routines.

Unfortunately, despite her successful acting career, her love life was a mess. She married and divorced 5 times. Rita's most famous marriages were to Orson Welles and to Prince Aly Khan, which actually made Rita, and not Grace Kelly, the first movie star to become a princess. 

Rita once revealed with some bitterness that “Men go to bed with Gilda, but wake up with me.”

 

She might have been a femme fatale on the screen, but in real life Rita was a shy and gentle person and suffered from an inferiority complex. However, her image as a sultry fiery beauty inspired creation of hundreds of characters, including Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit and beauty looks and styles of millions of women across the globe.

Want to steal Rita's Seductive Style?

I picked three timeless trends and selected the best items online for you. Put that glam on and "Gilda" yourself up!

1. SLIP Dress Trend 

2. long FITTED gown

3. Bedazzling sequins

Week 10: Timeless Essentials. The Wardrobe of a Lady

In our ever-changing, fast-paced world there are some things that stay the same: our quest to find true love and our dream of living a life free of oppression and full of meaning. But putting all of those noble (or high-spirited?) ideas aside, there are things that we can and should own now if we want to achieve that air of timeless beauty and leave life's journey idle for a moment.

This week I will be presenting my version of several key classic looks, as well as helping you find essential pieces for your own wardrobe. I’ll also introduce you to one of the most renowned stylish aristocrats: the Countess de Ribes and give you the ultimate list of "Books That Every Aspiring Lady Should Read." 

Let's start with my list of Wardrobe Essentials before I show you my own interpretations of these classic pieces later this week. Here are the top 5 basic items every stylish girl should own. With these 5 items you will never look boring, only timeless, ladylike and classy.

1. Trench Coat

2. Iconic Bag

Remember Cate Blanchette's character in Blue Jasmine? She lost all of her money, but refused to give up and sell her Hermés Birkin bag because she believed the moment she sold it, she could never go back to her luxurious upper class Manhattan's socialite life. That bag was her signature, something that showed she was "different" from ordinary people. 

Owning a good bag is important if you want to socialise with the crème de la crème and attend beautiful galas. Or even if you just want to look stylish in a simple white dress or a baggy t-shirt and denim shorts. One expensive bag can MAKE the whole outfit.

If you are on a budget, but still want to look chic and expensive, invest in one great bag rather than a lot of individual items or clothes. It sounds very superficial, but THE PERFECT BAG can make a world of difference.

3. White Pants

Denim is usually in everyone's wardrobe as a base essential, but I believe in the power of white pants/jeans. Pair them with big, beige sweaters, colourful polo shirts or even a sequined evening top. White pants will look much cleaner in any of these combinations and more original than blue jeans.

 

4. Classic Chanel-esque jacket

You don't have to empty your bank account and buy the $4000 original Chanel jacket, but there are a lot of brands that offer very similar, classic tweed jackets. Gone are the days of matching tweed jackets with tweed skirts, now you can mix and match your tweed jacket with pretty much anything and still look great.

5. Little Black Dress

And last but not least: The Little Black Dress! The LBD is a must-have in every girl's closet. There are so many variations and shapes to choose from, but I have just one rule: choose a dress made from good, high-quality fabric and never opt for a cheap bodycon dress made from a synthetic stretch fabric.

 

 

 

Week 8: California Diary. Coachella Vibes

Since Coachella took over my Instagram feed and favourite bloggers' pages this month, I decided to share the best affordable festival-ready clothes you can find in stores right now.

Coachella Trend Report and Shop by Ulia Ali

Ben and I were planning to go to Coachella this year, however my husband was travelling to Dubai for a golf tournament and then he was back to work in New York, so we had to leave the festival experience until next year.

If you, like me, haven't been able to go to Coachella, treat yourself with some beautiful summer pieces that will make you want to throw your own party!

COACHELLA 2016 BEST OUTFITS AND TRENDS

Sheer maxi Dresses 

Best dresses list Coachella 2016. Fashion trends, summer 2016

Seen all over Coachella, worn by blogging beauties and young celebrities, maxi see-through and peek-a-boo lace dresses are one of the biggest trends of summer 2016. They are sexy without being trashy, sophisticated and effortlessly cool. 

Off-the-shoulder tops

Best trends of 2016, Coachella vibes. Fashion and style of bloggers

Off-the-shoulder tops are definitely one of my latest fashion crazes. I love them all: cropped neutral coloured, intricately embroidered and laced ones.

Lace up High Boots or Sandals

Summer 2016 shoes trend. Knee high boots and sandals

I already jumped on this bandwagon and purchased a pair of Daisy Street Lace Up Boots from Asos. Those boots will sex up any outfit regardless if you are in a tight suede dress or just wearing shorts and a white t-shirt.