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‘Spirit of the 70s’: Chloé designer embodies second coming of boho

Chemena Kamali doubles down on instantly recognisable style reflected back in front row of Paris fashion week show

Backstage after her Paris catwalk show, Chemena Kamali talked passionately about the Chloé look – the high-waisted jeans, the sun-bleached vintage blouses, the sensuality and easy femininity, the seductive cocktail of nostalgia and promise in a beloved sundress packed for its umpteenth summer holiday – without once using the word boho. Kamali, an unknown name when she arrived at Chloé as creative director a year ago, has established herself as one of the most powerful people in fashion by single handedly bringing back a style beloved for being instantly recognisable, with a through line from Jane Birkin to Sienna Miller, and easy to wear. The shiny jackets with shark fin shoulder pads and miniskirts clamped tight at the waist were out of step with a world then in thrall to Phoebe Philo’s minimalism at Celine when he sent them out on to his first catwalk, he said, but were a hit nonetheless, and he has stuck with them.

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