There is nothing more intoxicating than watching your favourite singer perform at a summer music festival. Even in a crowd of 200,000 people, it feels as though they’re singing just for you. But Miley Cyrus isn’t my favourite singer. She’s probably not even in my top 10. At least, she wasn’t before I saw her on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.
But that’s the wonderful thing about festivals: sometimes, it’s the acts you’re most “meh” about that end up blowing you away. And as she sang a special dub reggae version of Malibu – “But here I am/ Next to you/ The sky’s more blue” – so it came to pass. The perfect confluence of good company, idyllic weather and low-strength lager (only one pint, I promise) led me to believe that Miley was the new Messiah.
Which is why, in tribute to the 26-year-old pansexual vegan (“I’m in a hetero relationship, but I still am very sexually attracted to women,” she has said), we’re off to Malibu, California, this week. Miley used to have a house in Malibu.
She shared it with husband Liam Hemsworth until it was burned down last year, one of many homes in the area destroyed by a fire that residents described as “heartbreaking”.
I haven’t been to Malibu, but even before my Miley obsession (it’ll pass), the destination sounded exotic. Whether actual Malibu and Coke or not, cocktails must definitely be partaken of in Malibu. First into the suitcase, therefore, is a suitably chichi cocktail dress. London-based label Solace’s snakeskin-print maxi dress (£445) is just the ticket.
And for good measure, let’s also pack a sundress, although you’ll have to be quick to bagsy this polka-dot Siesta dress by Reformation (£255): so popular is the California-based clothing label that styles quickly sell out (witness the stampede on its Lacey dress after Jodie “Villanelle” Comer was pictured wearing it). “Ref”, as its fans call it, prides itself on designing sustainably, and its website is full of information on how it achieves its goals (clue: lots of eco-friendly Tencel).
Comfy yet glamorous summer sandals, you say? Walk this way. These stripy Lupanara ones by Manolo Blahnik (£695) remind me of Neapolitan ice cream, and, while they’re pricey, the multicoloured element makes them very versatile, ensuring they will go with a wide range of clothes.
It would be remiss to visit Malibu and not go to the beach. Tide & Seek’s cross-backed bralette (£35) and matching bottoms (£32), in a print it calls Aqua Marble, will have you looking like a local in no time – although the brand itself is based in Cornwall. All of its swimwear is made from Repreve, a fabric derived 100 per cent from recycled plastic bottles. Eco-conscious Miley would approve.
It’s not all beach, beach, beach, however. Malibu is also a great destination for those seeking a more active holiday. Whether you’re mountain biking, paragliding, tandem-riding or going on a Malibu wine hike (sounds like my kind of hike), these Helena chino shorts by Boden (£45) are sure to come in handy. Best of all, they come in a choice of four lengths, from 3in through to 9in. Would that all shorts came with such an abundance of choice.
Finally, a tote. You can’t go on holiday without one – and you certainly can’t go on holiday without this stylish pale grey Sophie (£200), by London-based vegan leather brand LaBante.
Vegan Miley will approve, and if you see her, she’ll probably chase you down the street asking where you got it.
Lucky you.