Designer Line Up for Mercedes-Benz Released
Edited by Rebecca Alexander

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week will kick off with Michael Angel followed by BCBGMAXAZRIA, Duckie Brown, Ports 1961, Cesar Galindo, Cynthia Steffe, Yigal Azrouel, Charlotte Ronson, Nicole Miller, This Day/Arise: African Fashion Collective, Venexiana, Lacoste, Georges Chakra, Andy & Debb, Academy of Art University, Christian Siriano, Chado Ralph Rucci, Vivienne Tam, Lela Rose, Derek Lam, DKNY, Thuy, Hervé Léger by Max Azria, Diane Von Furstenberg, Rebecca Taylor, Tuleh, Custo Barcelona, Carolina Herrera, Carlos Miele, Jill Stuart, Tracy Reese, Donna Karan, Yeohlee, Tadashi Shoji, TonyCohen, Gottex, Badgley Mischka, Brian Reyes, Toni Maticevski, Pamella Roland, MAX AZRIA, Dennis Basso, Willow, Tibi, Narciso Rodriguez, Toni Francesc, Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Nanette Lepore, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Milly by Michelle Smith, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Anna Sui, Doo.Ri, Ralph Lauren, Isaac Mizrahi, Trias, Calvin Klein, Chocheng, Argentinean Designer Collections and Tommy Hilfiger.






Tia Cibani, head designer for Ports 1961, developed a rather literal Fall 2009 collection inspired by her recent trip to India. Although a literal interpretation isn’t necessarily a bad thing, ingenuity certainly lacks when you see a collection and can peg the inspiration, without even looking at the press-kit! Not only did the color palate, including colors like tangerine, amber and azure, scream Bombay, traditional angarkha coat inspired items were a bit too obvious for my liking. If the looks weren’t literal, they were completely out of place. Towards the end of the show, Cibani showed bright pink and black satin draped dresses…India? Really Ports, just because times are tough doesn’t mean you’re allowed to get lazy with creativity!







