Cool. It s not a word to describe designer Tia Cibani s decade-long effort at Ports 1961. Practical, definitely. Chic, certainly. But cool? It just wasn t in her vocabulary.
With her namesake collection, which debuted for Spring 2013, Cibani seems less afraid of being hip. "I m expressing myself on more of a personal level," she said after her presentation, which featured an intriguing matte metallic paper installation by the artist Kirsten Hassenfeld.
Fresh off her win for Fashion Group International s Rising Star Award—past recipients include Wes Gordon and Joseph Altuzarra—Cibani presented a garçonne-appropriate collection featuring plenty of navy, black, and gray wool separates. Ideal for aspiring Alexa Chungs of the world. (The eccentric Peggy Guggenheim served as Cibani s muse this season.)
The first look—a white poplin button-up paired with a black double-faced wool V-neck coat and cigarette trousers—appealed as much to the 20-somethings in the audience as it did the Ports customers who wear her wares in law offices and investment banks. Those professional types were rewarded with a magenta asymmetrical chiffon dress: classic from the front, but the back took things to a new level, with intricate neck-to-hem accordion pleats done by New York s famed International Pleating, a stalwart in the city s shrinking Garment District.
The one misstep was a geometric-print sateen sheath dress, paired with a rose-gold geometric brocade capelet. Compared to the silver-and-gold lamé pleated dress that ended the show, it just felt a little too forced. But with such a promising collection, Cibani should be forgiven.
