Allow Quen Blackwell To Be Your Coachella Fairy Godmother

If you haven’t seen actress and comedian Quen Blackwell posting her Coachella Weekend 1 experience—working full looks, taking selfies with fans on the festival grounds—there’s a good reason why. The 25-year-old, who hosts the YouTube series Feeding Starving Celebs and boasts over 17 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, didn’t skip out on what many call the “influencer Olympics.” She simply went analog this year. “I’m doing a phone-free Coachella,” she told W. “This is the weekend when the industry collectively takes a break.”

It might seem like an oxymoron: How can someone who built their career around a constant online presence abandon her all-important instrument on this weekend, of all weekends? The secret is, content was still being produced (albeit with more retro technology) and the outfits were well-documented for delayed consumption. It’s all about compromise, right?

Blackwell’s no-phone weekend gave her a moment to sit down with W on Friday morning. From the comfort of her luxurious arrangements at the expansive Guess compound, Blackwell discussed her romantic and girly looks for the weekend, her No. 1 Coachella tip, and why she’s avoiding alcohol this year (sort of).

Is there a particular theme unifying your Coachella looks?

Free, chic, fun, happy, and light. My vibe is going to the vintage store and reworking any piece that I get.

How does that manifest in an outfit?

Today, I’m wearing a Guess belt, but I sewed it onto a vintage skirt. On top, I’m wearing this shrug I also got from the thrift store—it’s vintage Maison Margiela—and just a bra. I have the tabi Nike shoes so my feet don’t fall off, because we’re going to be doing a lot of walking today. But the Guess belt influenced the entire outfit. It feels classic Coachella, with a little a modern edge.

You also wore Guess last night to the brand’s welcome dinner on Thursday. It was a super girly look. What inspired that?

I’m in love right now. I’m just feeling the romance in everything I do. That was my favorite look of the weekend—it was frilly, Y2K, to the 10th power. I felt like I should have gone to the Video Music Awards in it.

How did that look come about?

My stylist and I helped create the outfit with Guess. In the beginning, the brand was like, “You can select some of our clothes and make an outfit from that.” And we’re like, “We’re extra. Can we ask for a custom look?” We collaborated on it and made it pink and fun for this light and airy era of my life.

This is your fourth Coachella in a row. Do you ever consider skipping out on a year?

I’ll say, “No, not this year,” when I have kids or something. But I’m going to take advantage of my youth while I have it. It’s Coachella. People around the world are watching it from a phone. We have the opportunity to be here, so why not? Even though it is miserable at points, it’s good misery.

What is in your festival bag?

I recently watched a microplastic documentary, so now I have a stainless steel water bottle. It does have a plastic cap, so I am getting a little shot of death, but it’ll work for now. Then I have a little cover-up, because I always go to Coachella pretty much naked; by the time the sun goes down, it’s frigid and windy. I bring a change of clothes so I don’t have to run back to the Guess compound before my favorite artists at night. I also brought a whole bunch of old digital cameras I got on eBay to capture content without my phone.

When you posted that you planned to log off for the weekend, I thought you were kidding.

No, dead ass. And it’s nice. I have had a phone addiction since I was 10 years old. I finally feel free. I’m also going to a darkness retreat when I get back to L.A., where I don’t speak or see anyone for three days. I know I’ll never be completely free of my phone because we’re in the digital age. But I’m getting some of my boredom back. You create some of your best work when you’re bored—and the scroll has taken away the boredom. I’m just trying to find a nice balance.

I would like to backtrack for a second and point out that your “layer” for tonight is a superlight fishnet-slash-knit cover-up. I don’t think that’s going to keep you warm.

It’s all about the rags and tatters. That’s my Coachella vibe this year. And if I get super cold, then one of my friends can lie on top of me and we can be warm together.

What is your best Coachella style tip?

Wear comfortable shoes. Babe, do not wear a high-heel flip-flop. The middle of your toes will be gone. You will die. You will die the worst death: foot death. They will fall off. And cowboy boots are cute for two hours, but not a full day and 30,000 steps.

What about a non-fashion Coachella tip?

Don’t try to find the coolest thing. Try to find the funnest thing. There’s all this ego when a whole bunch of celebrities or entertainers meet up together. It’s easy to be like, “Oh my gosh, so and so is going to be at this event? We should go.” But do you actually want to be there, or does your ego want to be there? Where does your heart want to be? That’s where you should go.

Who are you most excited to see perform this weekend?

That’s a hard one. I’m excited to see Sabrina Carpenter. I love her set designs. I also want to see Sexyy Red and shake my ass. Also, Blood Orange and Lykke Li. Lykke is the queen of niche. She is the underground overlord, and I need to witness that in real life. I want to see Addison, of course. I love her stage presence.

What have you learned from all your experiences at Coachella that you will be putting into practice this year?

No alcohol. Well, not no alcohol, but less alcohol. Because alcohol slows me down, and I can’t afford to be slowed down. So fewer shots, but maybe some mixed drinks.

You seem to be backtracking.

Just half a shot.…Okay, maybe three or four.