As the end of the year edges into view, we sat down with our founder, Mahsa Willis, for a quick chat about the latest releases in the New Bohemia mood, muses and making the most of summer.
What does the second part of New Bohemia add to the mood and what’s the one piece you can see yourself wearing the most?
Mahsa: New Bohemia Part II is more playful and holiday-inspired, with lots of colour and texture. It speaks of definitely, desperately, unabashedly wanting to have a lot of fun. We shot it on film to give the images that element of rawness and sense of adventure — stripping back, stripping down. I’ll be wearing the Mahsa Sarong, on and off the beach, as a skirt or a cover-up or a headscarf or a wrap top.
Summer is almost here; do you have any specific plans for travel or things you’re really looking forward to?
Mahsa: I have no plans other than to be close to people I love the most, eat from the garden and surf, read and sleep. I’ll probably be travelling around a lot.
We talk a lot about muses at Mahsa — who are the current/contemporary culture muses who you could imagine wearing some of the new pieces?
Mahsa: I’m so into Marta Cygan of @lifeofboheme — so sexy and modern. I also love her art direction and modernist frame. I could see her wearing almost anything from the new drop of New Bohemia effortlessly. Instagram rarely inspires me these days, but her posts and eye do.
I could absolutely imagine Aubrey Plaza’s character Harper from the new season of The White Lotus (please italicise) wearing the Mahsa Celebration Shirt Dress during her Sicilian seaside holiday… very straightforward, a little angular, with the potential to come undone quite rapidly! I love the satire of that show.
What is your favourite way to celebrate in the summer and do you have a drink you like to have on hand?
Mahsa: My drink of choice will either be a Seedlip-inspired mocktail or a glass of champagne in the sun. A cider apres-surf with some friends on the beach is also my dream scenario. As for how I like to celebrate, it’s been a complicated year and as always, I just try to keep things simple and beautiful, while chasing moments of joy. This summer I’m just going to embrace the chaos a little and take it all as it comes.
