Geo-Boho

Geo-Boho (originally termed Boho-Chic,^[1] a term associated with a fashion style of the 2000s)^[2] is a graphic and interior design aesthetic that arose shortly after the Great Recession and was most popular during the 2010s. Various distinct graphical trends coalesced together to form a loose, but distinctive hipster aesthetic that enjoys small-scale success to this day. It was coincidentally associated with a particular strand of Recession Pop that would later be derided under the term "Millenialcore".

History[]

A number of graphic design trends were popular on early 2010s Tumblr. These included natural material such as untreated wood and macrame, triangular grids and circles (as opposed to the traditional square-based grids), geometrized lettering with additional parallel lines and imagery of various exoticized origins, particularly Native American and Indian. As the Tumblr design interests were appropriated for commercial use, the aesthetic was streamlined, yet the great visual distance between its two major strands prevented it from ever truly coalescing into a unified and coherent visual language.

The need to seek coolness in foreign cultures (with the result almost always inappropriate appropriation) is a typical trend of hipsterism. In the case of Geo-Boho, this ws a direct continuation of the ongoing 2000s trend of Millennial Orientalism, which had already circled through Eastern Asia, Maghreb and the Near East. Similarly, the classic hipster obsession with genuineness (or at least purported genuineness) translated into an interest for traditional media (watercolors in particular) and analog photography technology... or rather analog-style photography filters. A very apt comparison can be drawn with the parallels of Gen-X Soft Club vs. Y2K Futurism. The Genericana aesthetics attempt to tap into the same trend.

New Age revival integrated itself seamlessly since visually New Age is also heavily reliant on triangles. The interest in natural and sustainable materials (by this time a luxury, as artificial or composite material have become dominant and cheaper) made the aesthetic easy to recycle for high-end, high-price brands and products, reminiscent of the 80s Eco-Beige trend.

Visuals[]

Geo-Boho's name reflects the two major strands that its visual elements come from: geometric details and otherwise stereotypical hipster/boho interests. Colors vary, but the heavy use of light woods and natural fabrics (and the general ambient minimalist trend) tend to create a palette heavy on airy whites, greys, beiges and pastels.

Geometric aspects include:

Heavily geometrical designs
In particular an obsession with triangles
Sans-Serif lettering, often elongated and typically with extra lines
Usually these are parallel lines, but they can also cross the shape of the letter
Vector designs with heavy emphasis on lines rather than surfaces (in contrast with the Vector minimalism variant of Flat Design that enjoyed brief interest before being supplanted by Cyberminimalism and Corporate Memphis)

The hipster trends include

Exoticism and cultural appropriation, in particular of Native American or Indian (specifically buddhist) motifs
- dreamcatchers
- Native American Headdresses
- Ying Yang and Om symbols
- Paisley or henna-style patterns (recouping with geometrical motifs)
Imagery of wild animals, especially those associated with the exoticized cultures.
Natural or sustainable materials
- However, the design is almost never of a rustic style, even if the material itself may be reused as-is
Pale, undyed woods
Macrame/rope designs
Lo-fi/lo-mo visual filters and soft focus
Desaturated imagery
Traditional or analog media (collage, watercolors...), though more likely to be in imitation of such

Music[]

While philosophically (as far as it can be said to have a philosophy at all), the aesthetic has little to no connection with Millenialcore music, their parallel growth and appeal to the same young adult hipster demographic caused Geo-Boho to be heavily featured in a number of music videos associated with the genre. Millennialcore music didn't acquire a distinct name from other repression Pop until the early 2020s, when it became the subject of heavy mockery for its tone-deafness.^[3]

Whereas Repression Pop's ethos could be summarized as "Things are shit, so we might as well party", Millenialcore reflects a young adult perspective of "I am young and healthy and that means everything is fine and my future is bright". The optimism was rather obviously misplaced already in the early 2010s, and this directly led to heavy mockery later. While part of this mockery is due to the typical cycle of rejecting the previous' decade popular things as unacceptably dated, some of it may be in embarrassment that one ever enjoyed the style at all.