Born to Be Revived

Both Etro’s (left) and Ralph Lauren’s Fall 2024 ready-to-wear lineup exudes free-spirited, bohemian sensibility. (Photos courtesy brands.)

Getting a mature makeover is the revival of carefree Boho chic, a fall trend to already get behind in these late summer months. It’s a look that has been quietly burning in the background for the past few seasons, with the return of the gladiator sandal like those seen back in the Spring 2022 collections of Alberta Ferretti and Marques ‘Almeida, but it never managed to gain traction.

Fall 2024’s highly anticipated Chloé show changed all that and cemented the look’s return to high fashion. Chemena Kameli’s debut in Paris took us back to the brand’s bohemian roots with a collection full of aspirational peasant blouses, floaty dresses and high-waisted jeans. Boasting a front row full of celebrities including the original noughties style icon Sienna Miller, they all stepped out in the designer’s already sought-after wooden wedge.

As fashion history dictates, it comes as no real surprise that having reveled in the return of Y2K, a bohemian sensibility would surely follow. The timing is certainly serendipitous with the recent passing of one of the aesthetic’s greatest advocates, Roberto Cavalli. A designer who was at the top of his game in the early ’70s and again in the 2000s when he blended bold boho prints and gave them sex appeal. Boho is much more than a look; it’s a vibe encapsulating a feeling of being free-spirited and non-conforming.

Current boho sees brands such as Etro, Ralph Lauren, Zimmermann and Isabel Marant, to name a few, thrust into the spotlight as their hallmark style finds new breath. Etro, a go-to brand come summer, gains new life this season with Marco De Vincenzo switching the usually bright colors for more muted tones. The resulting looks gave us beautiful and intriguing color combinations showing a dark and sensuous side to the brand with fabrics being fluid and unstructured and many looks comprising of dresses and skirts over pants. You can’t get more 00s. But don’t worry, this is not a costume party; the style has and will continue to steer a new path.

Kim Smith has been a professional wardrobe stylist in Honolulu since 2004. Born a true Londoner, Smith had a successful career in public relations in the fashion industry in London for more than eight years before moving to Hawai‘i in 2002. Smith’s work spans a vast array of magazines, retailers and television as well as working with individual clients on their specific style needs. See her work at kimsmithstyle.com.