Image courtesy of shoprachelzoe.com
In the mid ‘2000s, Boho Chic was everyone. Rachel Zoe, one of the biggest celebrity stylists of the early and mid-2000s, and big proponent of boho chic, starred in her Bravo reality series “The Rachel Zoe Project.” Viewers could tune in every episode to see Zoe in her outfits, which included her printed caftans, ruffle dresses, and statement sunglasses.
In addition to Zoe, fashion ‘It’ girls, such as Sienna Miller, Nicole Richie, and Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, were all purveyors of the early and mid-2000s boho aesthetic. Richie’s off-duty looks when she wasn’t busy filming her reality show” The Simple Life” with Paris Hilton included oversized sunglasses and headbands. The Olsen twins were partial to turquoise and broderie anglaise. Miller was once photographed wearing a white tank top, denim mini skirt, cowboy boots, and a red Balenciaga city bag. All these women walked so Coachella and music festival style could run.
Images courtesy of bohodressofficial.com
What truly defines Boho Chic, though? Boho chic, as we’ve come to know it in the 21st century, combines bohemian and hippie aesthetics, and sometimes Western elements. A boho outfit could include something as simple as a quilted sweater paired with wide-legged jeans and a miniature handbag, or an oversized linen dress with statement sunglasses and a fedora.
Like all trends, Boho Chic is cyclical, and some trend forecasters have said this is its third iteration since it first became popular in the 2000s. It had its second act around the mid-2010s, and now as we approach the mid-2020s, it’s time for act three. The comeback of Boho Chic was no accident.
Chloe fall 2024 image courtesy of laiamagazine.com
In October 2023, French luxury brand Chloé, known for its accessories, such as handbags, named Chemena Kamali their new creative director. As one of the more popular luxury brands in the business, all eyes were on what Kamali would do for her turn as creative director of the brand when she debuted her first collection during Paris Fashion Week in February.
Quickly, editors, stylists, and buyers responded, saying Kamali brought back the 2000s Boho Chic aesthetic. Her debut collection for Chloé in February 2024 featured slouchy leather boots, ruffle dresses, floral lace capes, and wide statement belts, among many other captivating pieces that helped usher in the Boho Renaissance. It wasn’t long after Kamali’s debut that the celebrity crowd began wearing her pieces, and the trickle-down effect of the Boho aesthetic began.
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/MG24/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)
The Chloé Boho effect made a splash on the red carpet at the 2024 Met Gala. Respectfully, Kamali had her cavalcade of Chloé girls decked out in Boho Chic designs, including Zoe Saldaña, Emma Mackey, Greta Gerwig, and one of the OG queens of Boho Chic, Sienna Miller. Saldaña donned a lingerie tulle look in caramel, with slouchy brown leather boots and a Chloé logo belt; Miller was ethereal in a white lace floor-length gown; Gerwig went for drama in a black beaded cape, and Mackey rocked ruffles galore in a nude gown. This began the birth of the new Boho Chic girls.
The trend didn’t stop at Chloé’s Met Gala presence. Other celebrities quickly jumped on the brand’s bandwagon. In August, Emmy nominee Sydney Sweeney, best-known for her work on “Euphoria,” was spotted wearing a ruffle dress from the brand. Prior to that, actress Daisy Edgar-Jones wore a blue ruffle dress from the brand for an outing in New York City in August. In late August, with Fashion Month just a few short weeks away, model Kaia Gerber added to her boho chic flouncy white top collection with one of Chloé’s designs.
If it seems like Boho Chic is restricted to a list of celebrity ‘It’ girls, think again. Searches for “boho” on social e-commerce platform Depop, where users can buy and resell items from their wardrobes, have increased by 277 percent.
Ralph Lauren image courtesy of Ralph Lauen, Stella McCartney image courtesy of Getty Images, Zimmerman image courtesy of vogue.com, respectively
Beyond Chloé, other fashion brands’ fall collections were heavy on the Boho Chic inspiration. Ralph Lauren showed what many in the fashion industry described as one of his most boho-inspired collections in the brand’s nearly 60-year history. Soft silks were combined with much of the Western inspiration the brand has recycled throughout the decades. For lovers of sustainability and luxury, Stella McCartney debuted deep V-cut neckline gowns and oversized faux fur coats that brought some evening and outerwear glamour to the Boho Chic aesthetic.
After having a brat summer, a trend popularized by pop star Charli XCX and categorized by Y2K fashion, and the color green, it looks like we are into a Boho Chic fall. With the arrival of the boho-inspired fall collections in stores, Boho Chic is back better, bold, and as eclectic as ever.
—Kristopher Fraser
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