Olandria on preparing for Coachella with Barbie
On Friday, the first day of Coachella, the palm trees were swaying and the sun was shining as Olandria Carthen stepped onto the festival grounds for the first time ever. She looked at Barbie’s very pink activation – a mirror reflection with a charm bar, photo booth and more inside. There was even a larger-than-life hologram featuring Paris Hilton and Barblandria herself, and seeing Carthen posing with her hologram was both eerie and downright fabulous. “I’m going to be Barblandria throughout Coachella and it’s going to be amazing,” she told Popsugar. “I named this weekend Ochella because it’s my first and I’m going with Barbie.”
But even though it was his first time, Carthen was prepared. She worked on her packing list for weeks. “It was a long process,” she said. “Mini fans, sunscreen, body glow, mini deodorant, cowboy hats. So many different bandanas. I grabbed everything. Press-on nails – I have so many different colors, sizes. And earplugs.”
This body gloss is a signature beauty look for her—she mixes body shimmer, oil, and sunscreen. As she puts it, “You have to shine.” And of course, so many of her fans love her outfits. She named a “scandalous” brown outfit, custom-made by Baby Phat, as her favorite look of the whole weekend.
Now that she’s actually here, she can fully embrace her Barblandria Festival persona. “I feel like my festival vibe is me becoming a dancer. I have a drink in my hand and dance to the music.” (Her favorite drink, by the way, is a French 75.) What she’s most looking forward to is Justin Bieber, who’s performing on Saturday. She has been a Belieber since childhood and loves his latest albums. “Yukon” is one of her favorite songs; “I love seeing him tap into his R&B side,” she said.
This Coachella is also special because Carthen brought her two best friends, who have also never been to the festival before, to experience it with her. She said making time for friends and family — and including them in new experiences like this — has been a priority for her since she became famous.
“One thing that has really surprised me about being famous is how intense this life really is. The amount of dedication, hard work and sacrifices you have to make to build a brand – it’s a lot and tiring,” she said. “But I’m managing it and doing my best. It’s an intense lifestyle, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m learning to adapt.”
As for recovery next Monday, rest will be key. “I’m going to be traveling non-stop for the next few days, so I’ll just have to watch a series and rest in bed,” Carthen said. Amen to that.
Lena Felton (she/her) is Senior Director of Special Projects at PS, where she oversees sponsored packages, tentpole projects and editorial partnerships. Previously, she was an editor at The Washington Post, where she led a team focused on issues of gender and identity. She has been working in journalism since 2017. During this time, her focus was on writing and editing reports and highlighting historically underrepresented voices. Lena has worked for The Atlantic, InStyle, So It Goes and more.
