Buckle up your chain belts, boho jewelry is back

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Can you hear the jingle of chain belts and layered necklaces? After fashion’s long love affair with ’90s minimalism, bohemian style has returned, bringing with it loud, colorful beads and tangled, ragged chains that encapsulate the hedonistic spirit of the ’70s.

In the SS24 collections, Burberry stacked silver medallion chains over ruffled one-shoulder dresses, Chanel paired multi-layered logo chains with sheer camisoles and Breton tops, and Tom Ford accessorized plunging necklines with gold lariat necklaces. At Rabanne, creative director Julien Dossena complemented festival-ready fringed chainmail dresses and gladiator sandals with gold toe rings and cuffs, while Ralph Lauren – a designer whose preppy American style has often had a bohemian bent – had colorful beaded necklaces that could have been at home. in Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s boho-chic wardrobe in 2005.

But it was Chemena Kamali’s. debut at Chloé for AW24 that heralded the return of the trend in earnest, with long ruffled chiffon dresses, oversized sunglasses and sinuous gold snake jewelry that paid homage to the Chloé girl’s “sense of freedom and selflessness,” as the designer in her notes from the show.

“Boho chic is fun, easy, feminine and a little sexy, while still being relaxed,” says Richard Johnson, business and sustainability director at Mytheresa, who notes an enthusiasm for summer layering. “It’s like a breath of fresh air compared to other trends.”

Boho chic is like a breath of fresh air compared to other trends

he points to Maria LichtenbergDiamond-encrusted medallion cord necklaces (from £1,960), which can be worn long or double-wound, and Ananya‘s Chakra bead bracelets, which look “divine” when stacked together. Newport Beach-based jeweler lugano also puts a new spin on the trend with turquoise drop earrings enhanced with sparkling pavé diamonds, while the Copenhagen-based designer Orit ElhanatiBlack spinel and malachite necklaces also convey a relaxed vibe.

French jewelry houses are also attracted by the casual spirit of this trend. For Dior Rose of the Winds line, creative director Victoire de Castellane has unveiled a three-row sautoir made with yellow, rose and white gold, as well as a sparkling boho-inflected chain belt adorned with tinkling turquoise, malachite and lapis lazuli that can be worn around the waist or transformed into a necklace. Goossens Paristhe Chanel-owned jeweler known for its chunky wardrobe pieces, added talismanic pendants encrusted with tiger’s eye beads and honey-colored rock crystals that recall the original haute-hippie style of Talitha Getty and Loulou de la Falaise.

Meanwhile, Boucheron Bohemian Snake The collection, whose teardrop motif, introduced in 1968, subtly evokes the head of a snake, remains as relevant as ever. “We like to fantasize about the past and daydream about decades we haven’t lived through that are considered ‘the good old days,’” he says. Claire Choisne, creative director of Boucheron“and the ’70s, especially, are often seen as an idealized happy place.”

In a time when carefree and unabashed joy can seem in short supply, bohemian jewelry is appealing. “I’ve always been a big fan of this style,” says London-based fine jeweler Cassandra Goad, whose Persephone gold bracelets, set with coral, turquoise or lapis lazuli beads, are designed to be stacked. Likewise, she Tortilla Chain Necklace, whose textured discs are made by pressing corn tortillas into golden sheets, can be worn long or wrapped around the neck. “I think layering different necklaces and pendants is a fun and refreshing way to express my creativity.”