With global hits like “Water” and “Push 2 Start,” it may come as a surprise that Tyla is a newcomer to Coachella—but last night, the South African singer marked her very first time performing at the annual music festival in Indio, California. “When I was younger, I used to binge-watch performances,” Tyla tells Vogue. “It’s definitely a milestone that I’ve always wanted to hit. The amount of people that came to my set was really exciting and warming.”
The star was sure to make her Coachella debut a memorable one: She brought out Becky G as a surprise musical guest, not to mention performed a cover of Aaliyah’s “Rock the Boat,” among other highlights. “I wanted it to be really high energy—a lot of fun and dance,” says Tyla of her set. “And culture: I had my South African dancers. I was really excited to have family back, and to do it like old times.”
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Her stage fashion, meanwhile, was just as spectacular to behold: The star went the vintage route, plucking pieces from the 2000s for her performance attire. Working with Dolce Gabbana and styled by Ronnie Hart, Tyla chose a look that felt retro (in a saucy Y2K way), yet fresh. The superstar emerged wearing a sparkling crystal mesh bra top styled under a white crop T-shirt; She paired it with a red and white brocade mini skirt (we’re talking itty-bitty) that was punctuated with black glass fringe. The pieces were all revived from the Italian label’s spring 2000 runway collection. “As soon as I saw the skirt, I fell in love,” says Tyla. “The skirt is barely anything—and that’s just how I like it.”
Of course, to make her throwback outfit feel modern and current, Tyla added her own special touches to the finish look—including some torn fishnet tights, belly chains, hoop earrings, and Burju’s leopard leona boots. (Her jewelry was all by Pandora; She is a face for the label.) “Ripping up the stockings was so last minute, and probably looked crazy—but I just wanted to do it,” says Tyla. At Coachella, after all, more is always more—but her nod to reviving archival designs was entirely on point.
