The past week I had the amazing opportunity to attend Coachella weekend 2 but not only did I enjoyed myself at the pool parties and danced like crazy all night. I had the honor to interview the mayor of Coachella and he had some interesting facts about the beloved Coachella Music Festival.

Meet Steven Hernandez the mayor of the wonderful city of Coachella.

Favorite restaruant in Coachella? Taqueria Jaliscos

Vacation spot? Cartajena, Colombia

Guilty pleasure? Raspado

3 things you always have with you? My phone, hand sanitizer, and lip balm

You cannot live without? A good book

Book or movie? Book

Day or night? Morning

White or black? White

Tea or coffee? Just started drinking coffee but I prefer water.

Pop or rock? Pop

Paper or digital? Paper

Sparkling or tap water? We will do sparkling

Black or milk chocolate? Black

Dogs or cats? Dogs

Indoors or outdoors? Out

Sunrise or sunset? Sunrise

Wine or beer? Beer

Sweet or salty? Sweet

Burger or salad? Burger

How did your career begin?

It all Started when I was 20 years old, I was interning for The Riverside County Board of Supervisors at that time.  I was going to UC Riverside and finishing up my degree in English and Political Science and my typical conversations would end up being about politics and changes that needed to happen in Coachella. I graduated and ran for office, I was 23 years old when I got elected here in the city of Coachella. I became one of the youngest in the state of California at that time and then 10 years later I had the privilege to become Mayor of the city.

Any stories from your childhood that you feel that changed you?

Oh yeah, absolutely! I had a very complexed childhood, I was raised by my farmworker grandparents. My mom is schizophrenic bipolar and so having to deal with mental health my father abandoned my brothers and I when we were 4 years old.  When you grow up with that environment you have all this types of experiences and I think it was all those experiences what made me who I am today.

Any fashion icons that inspire you?

Fashion icons? Hmmm, you know guys got to look good and I am a politician so I have to wear a suit. I sometime look at Calvin Klein but actually I am a Brooks Brother kind of guy, because it’s traditional but very trending.

Favorite designer?

Brook Brothers!

What social network do you most use?

We are doing Facebook, but I like Twitter because you can get information across instantly.

Favorite fashion city?

Fashion city? I honestly thing Vegas right? I will have to say that Coachella has become a big fashion statement city so I am going with Coachella.

If you could go back to a specific time in your life what would it be?

I think the university life is always a fun environment because they aren’t a lot of constrains. You have the ability to challenge your thinking and learning abilities, expanding and being uncomfortable in your thoughts while in the college environment does a lot for your personal growth.  A learning environment where your mind is constantly in stimulation.

Would you encourage your children to take on your footsteps into politics?

I encourage not only my own but everyone’s particularly Latinos to get involve in understanding what’s occurring in their communities. At the local level what happens daily is what eventually forms a nation and once you understand it you are able to help with in.

How do you see youth being involved with politics?

Youth and politics comes generationally. If you take a look at the youth movement in the 1960s and 1970s they were so engaged to social change from the women’s movement to the Latinos being able to vote. We are at a point where youth is finding their voice through social media and we are pushing issues that are important to everyone such as the coast of education, incarceration, employment and those are issues that are extremely important to the youth.

How do you see the revenue the youth is contributing to Coachella festival?

When you look at the city of Coachella the city benefits very little from it because the festival is not even in the city but on the border and the festival is in Indio. Palm Springs receives the most benefits because it has the hotels, restaurants, and bars people want to go to, what’s unique about Coachella right now is the brand, the name, the lifestyle. We got some projects that we are working on and because of the festival putting us on the map we are going to be able to benefit much more from it in the future.

Where do you see the festival going in the next 5 years?

The festival is right now around 100,000 people and it will grow into 125,000 people in the next five to six years. We are going to continue being the trend setters in the festival world. Coachella has always been the trend setter and I think we will continue to be.

What do you actually think about how people dress for the carnival?

I think it’s great any time you can play dress up, when you look at fashion every generation has a fashion story to tell. It’s kind of neat seeing the fashion statement our generation is making and obviously Coachella is part of it.

What would be the sound track of your life right now?

I am going to need some help with this one, I have to say that anything that talks about redemption. We all have a story and in my case a redemption song by Bob Marley.

How do you see the influence music has in fashion?

I think they are one in the same, we see artists trying to be fashion designers and designers trying to be musicians. I think what’s really interesting about music and fashion is that it actually represents what that precise generation is saying it really evokes what they’re feeling and expressing throughout lyrics, music and clothes.

Any message you would like to deliver to the younger crowed?

I’ve always found that when we are uncomfortable we grow more. Sometimes we’ve been thought to play it safe, not to challenge ourselves or sometimes we are just scared of being uncomfortable and that can be at work, in education or even in a relationship but is the vulnerabilities that makes us grow and learn. So to all my 20 something, all the hommies out here, the millennials which I am one of them:

Find strength and find comfort in being uncomfortable.

Here you have it guys a very wise advice from Steven Hernandez the mayor of the great city of Coachella home to our favorite music festival.

Wearing:

Look 1 – Moschino tshirt, Forever21 denim shorts, Chanel backpack, Rayban sunnies, Birkenstock sandals

Look 2- Lacoste tshirt, Hermes scarf, Forever21 denim shorts, Gucci side bag, Chloe sunnies, Roberto Cavalli booties

Look 3- H&M tanktop, Vintage floral shirt, Forever21 denim shorts, Chanel boy bag, Chloe sunnies, Roberto Cavalli booties, Zadig & Voltaire hat

Pics by: Monica Morones