Bohemian Traders: The Coast’s Boho Chic Label
It all began with a simple striped dress.
Emily Berlach was sitting at her kitchen table in her Central Coast home sending emails all over the world while covered in Weet-Bix crumbs from her three young children, when bam! Her homegrown label Bohemian Traders started to take off.
She admits it all began as somewhat of an accident. She was simply trying to curate ethically-made, stylish boho pieces from all over the world, because it’s what she liked and wanted.
It was clever collaborations with the likes of fashion juggernaut They All Hate Us (one half of the trend-setting duo Elle Ferguson hails from the Coast) which cemented Bohemian Traders and that box-cut slim-sleeve black (or navy) striped dress which played the all-important leading role.
Bohemian Traders at Erina
With Bohemian Traders transformed into a successful online clothing business, Emily bravely opened her first bricks-and-mortar store at Erina.
Life on the Coast is slower and more relaxed than in the city and Bohemian Traders was among the first boutiques on the Coast to cater specifically to our carefree, coastal style.
Emily calls it ‘fashion without pretention’: “It’s relaxed and effortless, just like our Coastie lifestyle”.
Since opening in 2016, the Erina store has become a mecca for Coasties in search of boho chic wardrobe staples.
There is a lot of classic white, denim, and of course stripes.
Bohemian Traders denim
Where the stripes made the brand famous, it’s now also about jeans.
According to Emily, the Bohemian Traders denim line was created to provide flattering, cool and comfy jeans for women of all shapes and sizes. Bohemian Traders’ fashion is available in sizes 8 to 22.
There’s everything from “mum” jeans and skinny leg to high waisted and even drop crotch denim.
With all jeans priced under $200, they’re good for the hip pocket while also making your hips look good.
Little Boho Traders
Completing the family, there is now a kids’ collection, Little Boho Traders, offering boho chic outfits in sizes 6-11.
While the Euro chic Mr Bohemian range has just launched with classic cuts made from quality fabrics such as linen pants, tailored jackets and the odd pocket square.
Even expecting mums are catered for with a maternity collection featuring dreamy dresses, beautiful blouses and tees, tops, shirts and skirts in the prerequisite Bohemian Traders stripes.
Emily Berlach from Bohemian Traders
Even with all this success, Emily is still just a humble Coastie gal clad in that classic combo of stripes and denim.
“Humility is engrained in you on the Coast. There’s no hoity toity and it’s not competitive. You are who you are and you just do your own thing,” she says.
Shop the collection online at www.bohemiantraders.com or visit the Erina Heights store.
