Fashion is back to loving boho-chic

Sitting on a green meadow with a cigarette in hand, in the new editorial of Interview Magazine, actress Lily-Rose Depp looks into the camera wearing a silk baby-doll dress by Chloé, held under the bust by a lace ribbon. The star's look is purely boho-chic: an aesthetic born in the late 2000s at Coachella, featuring feathers and long pearl necklaces, but inspired by the free-spirited expression of the flower children of the 1970s. After years of absence, boho-chic made noise again at Paris Fashion Week FW24, particularly thanks to the debut show of Chemena Kamali as Chloé’s new creative director. With ruffles, high wooden clogs, and hobo bags, the designer offered the audience a journey through the brand's history, from Karl Lagerfeld's artistic direction in the 1970s to Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo in the early 2000s (when Kamali worked in the maison's design offices). The particularity of neo-boho-chic is that the trend started from the runway and not from social media, unlike other contemporary aesthetic movements like indie sleaze and coquette-core. Since it was set "from above," and not from the streets or democratic online spaces, the trend risked being confined to the high-fashion bubble, yet it was not: on Google, searches for boho-chic increased by 59% compared to last year, while on TheRealReal, interest in Chloé rose by 37% just 24 hours after the show. Following Kamali’s debut show, a representative of the resale platform told Vogue Business, sales of vintage Chloé pieces increased by 130% month by month. Could it be that, after years of trends born on TikTok and Instagram, fashion has finally returned to setting trends?

«The boho-chic trend is experiencing a new evolution thanks to recent waves of trends like indie sleaze or new wave,» says buyer Luigi Vassallo. «We are witnessing a rediscovery of an aesthetic tied to music and art: lived-in, authentic, almost shabby.» Indeed, the origins of boho-chic date back to an era when fashion was dictated by free-spirited artists such as Janis Joplin, Stevie Nicks, and Bob Dylan, who, with flowing clothes and eccentric accessories, shaped the hippie imagery of the 1970s. And in the early 2000s, when boho-chic became trendy again, it was artists once more who brought it to the forefront at events like the Met Gala and Coachella, such as Florence Welch, the Olsen twins, or Harry Styles during his One Direction days. It becomes clear that fashion's fascination with the boho-chic aesthetic lies not so much in the clothes themselves but in the story built around them over the years. «We can certainly say the trend is resonating with consumers» adds the buyer, «as the fusion of all these trends attracts an audience seeking authenticity and personal storytelling in their looks. Boho-chic is not just an aesthetic matter but a way to express individual identity through garments that evoke stories, experiences, and a sense of freedom.»

A few years ago, the boho-chic trend often corresponded to what would today undoubtedly be accused of cultural appropriation, such as using stylistic codes linked to Native American culture. However, the neo-boho-chic is meticulously calibrated to appear politically neutral. Besides Lily-Rose Depp and her baby-doll dress, other actresses wearing Chloé creations in their press outings have been extremely cautious: Daisy Edgar-Jones was spotted in a cream slip dress and clogs made of leather and brown wood; Sienna Miller, a longtime it-girl of the aesthetic, chose pink flared pants and a blue jacket with puffed sleeves for the brand's shows. On the runway and red carpets, besides silk ruffles and roomy hobo bags, there is an infinite amount of fringes, worked denim, and suede (which, according to Tagwalk's trend forecasting, will dominate in 2025). Adding to Chloé's bohemian fantasy, brands like Chanel and Ralph Lauren brought to their shows looks entirely covered in multi-length necklaces, a layering of jewelry also present in the first collection of Alessandro Michele for Valentino, though more restrained. Among other brands drawing from boho-chic for their latest collections are Isabel Marant, choosing earthy tones, animal-print accessories, and wide, slouchy leather boots, and Rabanne, showcasing prints matched in unexpected ways. Even Burberry and Saint Laurent, which until recently adhered strictly to an 80s aesthetic, have embraced the charm of the flower children for the latest Fashion Week, featuring flowing skirts reaching the feet and colorful lace.

For the first time in months (if not years), the runways have managed to dictate a fashion trend before social media could. It remains a nostalgic aesthetic, like indie sleaze and Y2K, yet this time the trend seems to breathe fresh air. Perhaps because, unlike its predecessors, it is forced to distance itself from politically ambiguous roots and reinvent itself according to the standards of cancel culture; or perhaps because, apart from Chloé—boho-chic by nature—the genre does not belong to one signature or another: as Vassallo points out, boho-chic can be interpreted in a wholly personal way, even through vintage accessories or unlabeled garments, making each look original. Once it becomes mainstream again, it’s possible boho-chic might seem repetitive, but it’s also possible that consumers will surprisingly manage to make it authentic. As everyone’s style should be, after all.