Bohemia gets an eclectic twist at Chloé SS18

She may be a sometime model, starring in campaigns for the likes of J.Crew and the Kenzo x H&M collaboration, but Amy Sall is much more than just a pretty face. Born and raised in New York by her Senegalese parents, she’s a lecturer at the city’s New School with a Masters degree in human rights. She’s also the founder of SUNU, a soon-to-be online and print publication with a thriving Instagram account that delves into both aesthetics and critical thinking on African affairs. And she combines her smarts with a sophisticated style; blending luxe, minimal basics with easy dresses and ladylike accessories. It was her effortless elegance that led her to be photographed to mark the launch of Chloé’s SS18 collection on NET-A-PORTER.

Its unveiling on the runway back in September was eagerly anticipated and much discussed thanks to the woman behind the collection; it was the debut of newly installed Creative Director Natacha Ramsay-Levi. A relative unknown outside the industry, she has serious fashion pedigree thanks to the 11 years that she spent at Balenciaga before heading to Louis Vuitton as Nicolas Ghesquière’s head of womenswear. Bringing a rock’n’roll edge to the bohemian, carefree spirit that Chloé is renowned for, Ramsay-Levi has added biker jackets and cowboy boots (fast shaping up to be the big-hitting accessory of the season) to the signature dreamy dresses, embroidered blouses and retro pantsuits.

It’s a collection that you’ll really want to see up close, due to the compelling details peppered throughout: the mystical mix of symbolic hands, moons and eyes; the silver rings that pierce ruffled dresses and sculptural tops; and the colorful prints designed by artist Rithika Merchant. Above all though, it’s the individual, independent attitude of the collection that really makes you want to wear it. And from the snakeskin mini skirt to the ruffled, crisp cotton dress, Sall truly makes the pieces her own.