Weekend one of Coachella saw some wild things, from Timothée and Kylie caught making out in the crowd, to Clairo's Coachella comeback featuring Bernie Sanders to Addison Rae announcing her debut album on her underwear. But another memorable moment from this weekend? Tyla’s Coachella debut. And if the Palm Springs desert didn’t already have festival-goers sweating, her set and performance looks definitely did.
Lucky us, Tyla let Cosmo in on her pre-show prep and outfit choices—part instinct, part ritual—where she dresses to match whatever mood she’s riding. "I always go with whatever works with my body and the vibe I'm on." And for the first night of the festival, the vibe was early-2000s—reflected in both her outfit and her setlist (she covered Aaliyah's "Rock the Boat," smooth and sultry, then brought out Becky G for their collab, "On My Body"). The South African singer stepped out on stage with a towering tiger balloon (a wink to her fanbase, the "Tygers"), wearing an archival Dolce & Gabbana look: red brocade briefs with fringe, a cropped tank, and a gold crystal bra glinting underneath.
The jewelry—a stack of bangles, rings, and mega hoop earrings with tiger tooth-like charms, all from Pandora—felt in sync with her island style and timely to her recent announcement as one of the brand's newest ambassadors.
Shop Tyla's Pandora pieces
Pandora Infinite 14k White Gold Double Lab-Grown Diamond Drop Earrings
Pandora Timeless Pavé Triple-row Ring
Pandora Timeless Pavé Triple-row Ring
Pandora Pandora Timeless Pavé Single-row Ring
Pandora Organically Shaped Bangle
But before Tyla hits the stage, she's in full preparation mode. "I'm blasting music that gets me up and people that get me up, we're laughing, joking, dancing," she says. "Then I have a moment where I pray, do my warm-ups, and then I get on stage." It's only after the show is over, and the adrenaline fades, that she calls her mom.
Her looks, always, invite a reaction. People are still talking about the strung-together Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture by Ludovic de Saint Sernin dress she wore to Billboard Women in Music, and the Balmain sand dress at last year's Met Gala, so fragile and molded to her body it took a team to get her up the steps. Stylist Ron Hartleben has been behind most of these moments. He gets how to make Tyla's clothes feel like extensions of her—sexy, playful, and precise. He's also intentional about pulling in rising designers and unexpected finds: a custom A'kai Littlejohn piece, a Riu look for her show in Cape Town, a Tom Ford-era Gucci dress. The right mix makes a perfect diva.
The day after her performance, she rolled up to the Pandora Charm House pool party layered in the brand's pieces—necklaces, rings, Cuban chains. Another nod to the early aughts, her outfit was all denim: a Courrèges bra top and a Coperni skirt. It was 100 degrees out, but she looked cool, self-assured, entirely in her element.
It's wild to remember that it's been just short of two years since "Water" became an overnight sensation—and now she's closing out her set with it, performed in a bubble bath, in front of one of the biggest festival crowds in the world. There's something so full-circle about that. A little surreal. But very Tyla.
Jessica (aka Jess) is a Senior Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan, working across both fashion market and styling for print stories, as well as digital fashion and commerce coverage. Prior to joining Cosmo, she worked in fashion at Vanity Fair. Jess lives in New York City and loves spotlighting emerging designers you might not have heard of yet—while also being an unabashedly devoted Love Island fan (dating back to Season 1 of Love Island UK, that’s how serious). See more of her work here, and follow her on Instagram if you love her.
