Text, Vivian G. Kelly
Images from show, Richard Spiegel
Images of patio party, Vivian G. Kelly
WHEN: The Cocktail hour, June 5th
WHERE: The patio at the Ports 1961 showroom, 610 W. 26th Street, NYC
There were a myriad of fifties’ inspirations on hand you could pluck out from Tia Cibani’s Restort ’08 Ports 1961 collection.
First and foremost, there was the zany, loveable Lucille Ball, who always looked camera ready, in a circle skirt dress and red lipstick, even when she was just preparing dinner for Desi and “Little Ricky”.
As any good designer knows, the trick to making a reference work is to not interpret it literally. Accordingly, Ports' Creative Director, gave her fifties housewife an edgy twist.
We got in the mood to view the collection the moment we stepped into the spacious Ports showroom and glimpsed, “I Love Lucy” episodes playing on flat screen TVs.
The real party though, was outside on the long narrow patio in which we imagined we were hanging out with Desi Arnaz in pre-Castro Havana or maybe Miami Beach. Tia and the crew at Atelier PR thought of everything down to the pink flamingo swizzle sticks in the cocktails being served.
In regards to our query about the possible YSL reference [the style of haute couture salon style presentation, and trim dresses] Tia remarked, “His passing was a great tragedy. What I found so inspiring about him is that he followed his vision. You need to be brave and do what you want to do, as he did. As far as myself, I’m happy about what I’m doing and am taking baby steps towards growth and staying with my aesthetic.”
The presentation itself was one of the most entertaining we’ve attended in many seasons. For one, the hostess/MC reading the outfit descriptions was none other than Lipsinka. The entertainer played her role as “the hostess with the most-est” to perfection, taking us through the collection, narrating in the standard Paris Couture style of YSL/Givenchy shows from the fifties and early sixties. The models even held cards with their exit numbers for the audience to note down. Lipsinka livened things up with jokes thrown in, often at her own expense, throwing out lines such as “ A cone bra! JUST what I need!”
There were more retro references throughout, such as retro shades of malt, marmalade, tapioca, mint, melba frosting and licorice. A strong lady theme ran throughout, looks that women of any age from “the young society set” to fashionable divorcees and matrons would embrace.
Tia delivered that design twist we’ve come to expect from her via some whimsical accessories, such as a bamboo cage purse and little air force hats.
Will she sell lots of those bags? Probably not, but our money’s on her smart little suits such as the tapioca basket weave clipped jacket and pencil skirt and the summer tweed lady suit with piping trim.
BEST IN SHOW AND MUST –HAVES: Exit #23, the melba moiré silk bateau neck sheath for cocktails and #25, the pailette cocktail cardigan & tapioca silk lame high waist pencil skirt.
The tailored pieces were beautifully constructed, and would have stood up on their own in a simple walk through shown on Pucci mannequins, but we were glad Tia decided to provide some fun and glamour in the bargain.
This collection was Tia’s strongest thus far and we look forward to seeing her ongoing evolution as a designer.