Clara Amfo Has Thought Of Everything When It Comes To Festival Style – And These Are Her Best Tips

Forteen years ago, in 2010, Clara Amfo experienced an important ‘first’ – one that, with hindsight, proved to be as seminal as it gets considering her future career trajectory: she went to Get Loaded in the Park, the sister festival to South London’s SW4. Actually, it might have been Lovebox, she can’t quite remember, but, as well as meeting her future best friend, she recalls thinking ‘wow’ about her inaugural festival experience. Now, of course, Amfo has gone from punter to presenter, playing host at Glastonbury, alongside Lauren Laverne, Vick Hope and Zoe Ball, for the BBC. In fact, proving her status as something of an authority on the subject as we chat on Zoom, she pulls open a drawer and shows me old ticket stubs and passes, keepsakes of almost every festival she’s attended.

She’s come a long way since the start of her career in radio and TV – Amfo used to forgo Glasto, citing the cost and the fact she couldn’t pass up weekend radio shifts – so her current gig, slap bang in front of the Pyramid Stage, watching artists such as Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Adele, has seen her come full circle. And although she’s all for dressing to a theme – the festival edition of the current red carpet trend for ‘method dressing’, if you like – she draws the line at one item that’s become the nadir of festival style. ‘Listen, the day you see me with a rose crown on my head, something is afoot, I’ve been overtaken by the festival bodysnatchers because that’s just not me. If that’s your thing, I love it for you. But me? Nah.’

Instead, you’re more likely to spot her in cult streetwear brands, such as Undercover (she wore the label’s bomber jacket last year, pairing it with a silver mesh dress for Elton John). ‘I love tailoring with a fresh pair of trainers but then, you know, I love a chunky stacked heel with a band T-shirt.’ The Elton look was paired with gold Nikes; essential footwear, along with a rotation of reliable boots, for wading through the crowds of Worthy Farm – as long as they’re not brand new. ‘One of my early [experiences of] Glastonbury, I did wear some fairly new trainers and it was very muddy. I was like, “Clara, you absolute idiot.” They went straight in the bin; there was no salvaging them.’ The Ghanaian flag’s colours also feature in her outfits; in 2023, she paired a glass bead clutch bag that featured red, yellow, green and black (Octavia Rose x Kitty Su) with a striped co-ord (Jacquemus). ‘I’ve just sort of found my swing,’ she says. ‘I know what works for me.’

What doesn’t work are trousers. ‘Never say never, but I usually go bare legged because then you can just wipe yourself down. There’s nothing worse than wet fabric clinging to your legs, especially if you’re trying to do a quick change in a Portaloo.’ Another tip is to not overpack or over-layer so that you’re stranded in the blazing sun with armfuls of clothes. ‘You have to treat a festival experience like you’re going on a mini holiday. Be as light and as nimble as you can.’ As well as miniatures, don’t forget antihistamines if pollen is your worst enemy and plenty of antibacterial products (‘Gel, wipes, spray, anything that’s going to kill germs, I’m packing it,’ says Clara. ‘That is me all day.’)

Perhaps her best advice is to find something that works for you, regardless of whether it fits into the festival genre. ‘There’s a very festival-look-by-numbers playbook that a lot of people do, which has never really been my vibe. I’ve always just kind of done “me”,’ she says, ‘me’ meaning a strappy ruched minidress by Ahluwalia paired with stomper boots from Ganni, another of her festival ride-or-dies (‘I’ve got so much Ganni, it’s become a bit of a joke.’) And as much as it’s tempting to take inspo from Pinterest, Amfo is adamant that there’s no point trying to cosplay someone else. ‘I’m never going to turn up trying to look like Kate Moss. That’s Kate Moss’s thing. I’ve never going to turn up trying to look like Alexa Chung. That’s Alexa’s thing.’

Shop: Clara Amfo's Festival Style Guide

Natalie Hammond is Grazia’s Senior Fashion News Editor. She loves winter, hates summer and can often be found writing about the weather (and what on earth to wear).