RUNWAY: Ports 1961 Spring/Summer 2011
Edited by Rebecca Alexander
I have to be honest and say that the Spring/Summer 2011 Ports 1961 collection, under the direction of Fiona Cibani, was a bit of a disappointment. Not only were most of the pieces missing the Ports aesthetic (like the above trench) that we know and love, but they were also not at all distinct, and can easily be put on a rack with multiple other designer pieces and get lost in the shuffle.
I do have to applaud the accessories, from the necklaces, to the rings and shoes, everything was a total must have!
And of course, there were those few pieces which would have made Tia proud.
Gallery on Style.com
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!