Hugo’s Gen Z shutdown at Soho Desert House

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With a combined social following running into the hundreds of millions across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, day two of the festival belonged to the young, stylish and the very talented. Where they post, you shall follow

16 April 2022    By Jonathan Heaf    Photography by AJ Woomer

What’s the collective noun for a group of Gen Z creative megastars? Whatever you pick, it’s an electric vibe (only your dad says ‘lit’ nowadays), and when the Hugo-boosted talent squad begins to flood, flow and bounce into the site on day two of the Soho Desert House pop-up – found only a few miles from the main Coachella festival – the whole place feels their infectious energy. 

Looks are served strong. Wearing well-cut, desirable merchandise from Hugo’s latest line, including its bombastic sunglasses collection that gives wearers an intergalactic pop, the Hugo talent list is like a who’s who of the global social media vanguard. Necks in the crowd swivel, while phones begin to snap.
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Big Matthew in Hugo

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Rob Raco in Hugo

Storming through the Desert House gates, phones in hand and Hugo gear pressed, are the likes of TikTok megastar Harry Tate (5.1 million followers) with a look that takes 21st century festival style into a whole other dimension. A blood-red Hugo sweater, red visor with white jeans, and a pair of tiny neon-yellow sunglasses, the fit is Dune meets Burning Man meets British 1990s club kid. In a good way. Tate, who has grown into a hot favourite on TikTok because of his candid posts and unrelenting energy, ducks, weaves and, of course, posts while thousands in the crowd can only gawp and grin. 
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Charles Melton in Hugo

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Harry Tate in Hugo

Other big social stars here at Desert House today include TikToker Nils Kuesel (11.6 million followers), who has a beautiful, nonchalant early River Phoenix vibe about him, wearing an ice-white shirt with ripped sleeves, and a colourful necklace that could have dropped straight out of a box of Lucky Charms. Riding with Hugo all day are also Theo Carow (2.4 million followers), hair like fresh candy floss, and multi-platform social star Sina Deinert (5.5 million) who makes the whole ‘thing’ – her whole industry – enviably effortless.

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Nils Kuesel in Hugo

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Liv Huffman in Hugo

As the sun begins to dip behind the mountains, palms swaying in the early evening breeze, and the sky turning the colour of fresh California peaches, Seoul-born rapper Big Matthew takes to the Soho Desert House main stage for a very special performance. Sunkissed arms are raised, and for a split second social posts are paused just to be in the moment. Who knew the next generation could be so, well, present? A hot, memorable day in the desert – and the Desert House – no doubt.

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Team Hugo

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Justine Skye in Hugo

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