It happened on a gray February day in Paris.
Sienna Miller wore an oversized black leather jacket, a silk slip dress with lace, and chunky, oversized wedges. Around her, women wore crocheted skirts, some clutching roomy, distressed leather bags, while many were bundled in beige suede. No, this wasn’t February 2005, but earlier this year, when the boho-chic army reunited outside the Chloé show.
Inside, new creative director Chemena Kamali sounded the hippie gong. Backed by Kate Bush’s Cloudbusting, her debut collection was a wave of Seventies-inspired, floaty, pleated chiffon dresses in icy blues and every shade of brown. They were paired with jingling gold pendants, cashmere capes, knee-length leather boots, swaths of white lace and Jane Birkin flared jeans.
It flew. Trend forecaster WGSN found that “Kamali’s debut for Chloé solidified boho’s commercial return.” It managed to set off a chain reaction (belt) that saw Miller, Kate Moss and the Olsen twins’ go-to Noughties look (as nicked from pin-ups Anita Pallenberg, Stevie Nicks et al) revived from the festival dressing-up box — and repackaged as the season’s most impactful trend.
Miller herself leaned forward over the summer, repeating some of Kamali’s Chloé looks that she showed during her Horizon: An American Saga press tour for an M&S collaboration in Haight-Ashbury in June. “I think everyone looks amazing,” she told the press at the time. “This [new] boho is a bit of what was naff back then. Some designer co-ords from the nineties, early 2000s and small glasses. I think people look beautiful in flowy things, I really do.”
There’s been no shortage of celebrity endorsements, either. Daisy Edgar-Jones’s stylish Twisters tour featured a handful of Chloé-designed boho moments, along with fellow fans Jennifer Lopez, Greta Gerwig, Suki Waterhouse and — at the Democratic National Convention — even Kamala Harris. Sure, she wore a suit: but it was Kamali’s, and by late August, the brand and boho were starting to feel as synonymous as they had when Phoebe Philo was at the helm (the heady days between 2001 and 2006).
Then came the royal seal of approval. The Princess of Wales released her sepia-toned short film, which sees her exploring forests in flowing dresses as she told the world she was cancer-free. A Veronica Beard linen-print dress in particular set the mood. A spokesperson for Lyst confirmed that the trend had seen a “remarkable increase” after the film was released this month. Searches for “Veronica Beard dresses” increased by 63 percent, while those for boho were up 86 percent this quarter.
How to do it
To take the look — historically a spring/summer favorite — into fall, it’s easy to consider typical basics and then add a few layers. “It’s all about the fabrics and accessories,” says Kate Benson, buying director at Net-A-Porter. “Leather jackets, knits and knee-high boots will all work with the whimsical chiffon dress you wore in summer, while a pleated blouse works just as well with flared jeans and a wool coat as it does with denim shorts. For fall/winter, compliment your look with suede fabrics and focus on rich seasonal colors like chocolate and burgundy.”
You shouldn’t struggle to find the ingredients on the high street. John Lewis in particular has doubled down on its offering. Director of Design Queralt Ferrer explains: “We’re at the forefront of trend forecasting here at John Lewis, so it was essential to incorporate ruffles and floaty fabrics that encapsulate the effortless boho look into our AW24 collections.” One such ruffled peach dress, due out in mid-October, is a firm best-seller, while Ferrer recommends checking out its new suede selection, which ranges from a fringed coat, £249, to a trench coat, £399, and a midi skirt, £199.
M&S has a moss green, tiered chiffon Per Una dress, £89, coming in October; while Free People, which describes itself as “a destination for bohemian fashion and unique clothing”, has everything from chunky cardigans to year-round white tiered linen skirts to pair with cowboy boots now and heavy-buckled biker boots when the ice inevitably comes. Mango boasts an exhaustive selection of duster blouses (a standout is in snakeskin print, £109), while Charlotte Simone is the first stop for west Londoners, Portobello Market for rugged, Mongolian lambswool coats as worn by Lila Moss, Charli XCX and Dua Lipa.
For many Gen Zers who aren’t old enough to remember the 2000s, the buzz has sent them back to the fashion history books. On TikTok, there are more than 200,000 videos tagged #bohostyle , while influencer Parisa Louvel (@badkidhq on Instagram, where she has 203,000 followers) has seen interest in her mix-and-match outfits soar. “Boho chic is back and people have rediscovered Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, the early 2000s leaders,” she says. “Everyone’s buying secondhand, and boho is an easy way to do that.” As for her top styling tips: “The less you look tried, the better. Also, lots of bracelets and rings — you want to sound like a band when you walk in. Big glasses are a must, as is down hair.”
Teens and early 20s browsing through the archives will find Matthew Williamson shows that defined their era. He was a pioneer of bohemian luxe in the heyday of Moss and Miller.
Now an interior designer, he reflects, “Enough time has passed since the noughties for it to feel fresh again.” He agrees that for anyone trying to achieve the look, “vintage would be a good place to start. Think hard and soft together, like leather and lace, or classic textures like sheepskin and leopard print.” As for the appeal, he explains, “Bohemian clothing suggests a very seductive, laid-back attitude and way of life — my friend Sienna Miller has always had this approach to clothing and it doesn’t surprise me that her looks are coveted.”
What’s next? Jessica Seddon, senior strategist at WGSN, thinks “the boho trend will evolve and become darker and grungier. We’re already seeing witchcraft and goth trends coming up, and that aesthetic is rooted in boho.” The spirit of Sienna? Halloween’s definitely taken care of.