“Grown-ish” actress Yara Shahidi, 18, will soon be heading off to Harvard University. But before she becomes immersed in her studies, the red carpet fixture has music festival season on her mind.
While presenting her top five favorite styles from Teva’s spring ’18 line in L.A. on Wednesday, the TV star said she likes the lifestyle brand’s new collection because “everything is really vibrant and monochromatic; It’s style and function, so you’re comfortable and you can walk around all day with no problem, which is perfect for the festival.”
As a bonus, the looks are a good fit for her go-to style staple. “I live in tracksuits and sweatsuits, and there’s nothing better than having a shoe that matches them,” she said, adding that you’ll see her in white platform sandals throughout summer.
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Overlooking Hollywood’s sweeping views from the rooftop of trendy restaurant Mama Shelter, Shahidi greeted guests while wearing the new Hurricane XLT 2 — a versatile sandal featuring a cushioned heel for comfort and an outsole with enhanced traction.
Admittedly, Shahidi spends most of her time barefoot, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at her cropped Instagram photos. “What people don’t see on Instagram is that I’m always barefoot,” she explained. “That’s why I wear sandals because I don’t like being restricted with my feet.”
Being comfortable extends to the red carpet, too. Her favorite occasion was at the SAG Awards in January when she wore a chic black jumpsuit. “I had the best time because I could move around in it and it wasn’t a dress; it had a bow train that’s detachable. and a custom blazer that went with it. We detached the train at the end so I could run around,” she recalled.
New additions to Shahidi’s closet include a pair of Prada kitten heels with studs, but expect her to stock up on more sneakers. “Having two other brothers makes you a sneakerhead,” she said of her younger siblings. “One is really excited for me to go to school so he can steal all of my sneakers.” Among the kicks, she prizes her Nike Cortez Kennys by Kendrick Lamar and Pharrell’s Adidas Human Races sneakers. “I adore Pharrell,” she added.
Beautiful inside and out, there’s no wonder why Shahidi made People magazine’s annual “Beautiful” list, which has now eschewed a ranking of physical appearances to focus on inner-beauty. “It started as such a flawed concept of what we deem as beautiful, but now it is something that actually defines us humans,” she explained.
Teva’s festival collection is available on Teva.com. Some new styles include the Midform Universal sandals with glow-in-the-dark details. Another new treatment for the range features a silhouette with laser-etched geometric patterns on the straps.
A division of Deckers, Teva has been engaging with festivalgoers since 2014, beginning with Bonnaroo — a music and arts extravaganza held in Tennessee. “We take pride in being a trusted resource for the festival experience,” said Erika Gabrielli, senior marketing director. “We’ve built our festival programs to enhance our fans’ experience in ways that are memorable and unexpected.”
In additional to its annual styling suites (last year Chanel Iman took part), Teva is going on the road with its Outpost activations — a mobile retail pop-up experience open to the public where guests can engage with products and more activities. It’ll be available to music and fashion fans at the following outdoor festivals through summer: Hangout in Gulf Shores, Ala. (May); Firefly in Dover, Del. (June); and Pitchfork in Chicago (July). The brand expects to reach more than 100,000 festivalgoers.
