Made Lapuerta Founder of Viral Fashion Account and Publication Data, but make it fashion. She combines her computer science and coding skills with her passion for fashion to create data-driven insights and reports on fashion trends and brands for DBMIF’s combined 800,000 followers. he has been recognized circulation, EliAnd the business of fashion as a leader in the fashion-tech sector. His roots are in Spain and Cuba.
Amidst the sea of ​​viral Coachella concert videos and outfit posts, there is one moment from this year’s festival that is perhaps more monumental, impressive, and noteworthy than the rest. This year, Karol G became the first Latina to headline Coachella in the festival’s 27-year history. this is one very big thing. Karol G, a Spanish-language reggaeton music artist from MedellÃn, Colombia, sings most of her songs entirely in Spanish. Some of their biggest hits include “tqg“featuring fellow Colombian singer Shakira,”Clona“Featuring Mexican artist Peso Pluma, and”Provenza“
Her headlining at Coachella was monumental not only because of the representation she brought, but also because her appearance was set against the backdrop of how Latin Americans and immigrants have been consistently targeted in the United States over the past year.
Needless to mention, with over 60 million speakers in the United States, Latin Americans are an important part of America and its culture, making it Second largest Spanish speaking country in the world after Mexico. Or, Latin Americans contribute several trillion dollars annually to US GDP and hover around 2019 to 2023 30% Of the country’s GDP growth. Overall, spending power among Hispanic and Latin American consumers growing faster than the rest of the US economy. But alas.
However, even if you don’t speak Spanish and haven’t before heard From Karol G to Coachella, her global influence — specifically, for the purpose of this article, when it comes to fashion — is undeniable.
For example, take my look at how orange was shaping up to be the color of the year in 2025 Analysis In May, orange was about 55% more popular than the same period last year. Despite it being a summer color that would naturally see a seasonal resurgence, people were In fact In orange.
Why? Well, there were several cultural moments happening simultaneously outside of fashion that were fueling the craze. McLaren was taking top wins in Formula One In its orange car; Celebrities were going viral sitting on the side of the court Wearing orange and blue at NY Knicks games; And of course, Karol Ji had just announced that latest album, tropicoquetaIts first singleAnd its new era-All in the signature shade of orange. Suddenly, there was orange color everywhere.
If you think this correlation and Karol G’s influence on color is random, it’s actually not. First of all, Spanish-language reggaeton music has been dominating music charts around the world for quite some time. According to Spotify, over the past five years, streams of reggaeton music have increased by 110% in the US, and streams of Latin music in general have increased by approximately 165% globally. wait.
Additionally, evidence of reggaeton’s influence on fashion is all around us. Bad Bunny has a long-standing partnership with Adidas And the brand teased its new sneakers During his Super Bowl performance in February. Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko stars Gap’s latest campaign. Two of the world’s biggest luxury beauty brands recently named reggaeton artists as fragrance ambassadors: YSL Beauty with Colombian rapper Fade And Prada Beauty with Puerto Rican singer Rau Alejandro. Karol G—along with Madison Beer, K-pop group Twice, and Missy Elliot—performed Last fall’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
With the announcement that Karol G would be headlining Coachella, I knew her style and fashion moments would make a big impact. I arrived several hours early to one of her headlining sets at Coachella weekend so I could claim a spot in front of the crowd to see her fashion and this historic performance in person. And it was worth it. Wearing several looks styled by Brett Alan NelsonKarol G used her Coachella fashion to not only elevate her performance, but also to drive home the importance of this monumental cultural moment.
For example, when singing the title track of his latest album, tropicoquetaKarol took to the stage in colorful attire etero Set and custom headpiece from Dominican-American brand Luar. (You may remember Luar for designing Lady Gaga’s baby-blue Super Bowl dressStyled by chloe and chenelle delgadillo. Luar, founded by Raul LopezObjectively has been on a roll lately, and it’s great to see.) The colors were bold, the sequins were strong and shiny, the skirt was full of movement, and the headpiece was extraordinary. This look was a beautiful nod to the Latin showgirls of the 1930s to 1950s. It was also a literal display of power, strength, courage etc. Pleasure of Latin American culture, which Karol presented on the global stage.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Later in her set, Karol changed into a custom miniskirt from the brand nahmias And a bra top with colorful, ruffled sleeves Adan Terquez. Notably, the sleeves featured the colors of her Colombian flag. It was a true tribute to her home country, and Karol certainly felt at home amid the sea of ​​celebrants who came to wave to her set. their Flags too. Just looking at him and the crowd, you can really tell Look A visual display of the diversity of the Latin American diaspora as well as how much incredible Latin culture exists throughout the United States today.
Finally, while Karol G’s set explored a woman moving among the elements of nature (fire to water, earth to air), her final look was a bra-and-bottom set adorned with large green leaves, as if she were Eve in the Garden of Eden. At first glance, it reminded me of the cover art of Shakira’s 2005 album oral assessmentIn which the singer is shown as Eve eating an apple.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Of course, I remember this iconic album cover. my mom bought this for me oral assessment CD when I was 9, and we played it over and over in his car. It is this album that contains perhaps Sharaki’s biggest hit to date, “Hips Don’t Lie”, which established her as a global star, topping the charts. more than 50 countries.
Whether this fashion parallel was intentional or not, it was a beautiful reminder of the Latin American singers who came before Karol G and how — as Karol herself noted during her performance — waiting 27 years for the first Latina to headline Coachella is a bit much. too long. However, it is a promising sign that there will be more to come.
Overall, Karol’s Coachella style wasn’t just a means to an end. It was a powerful tool of expression used to enhance a moment and performance and give representation to a population that deserved it. And its influence is not going to go away in the near future. According to Spotify data, after Karol G’s first Coachella performance, her US listenership increased by approximately 36% – which was almost double the growth rate of her global listeners. Don’t be surprised if you keep seeing Karol-inspired fashion fads all around us. And now, you’ll know where they came from!
