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PORTS 1961 PRE-SPRING PREVIEW
Wednesday, 01 July 2009 09:36
Page 1 of 2
Spring previews distinguish between online and print media at the Ports 1961 flagship
Going to the Ports 1961 boutique in the Meatpacking District in New York City is always a treat. The 4,000 square foot Manhattan flagship is located at 3 Ninth Avenue between Little West 12th and Gansevoort Streets in a 1850's masonry building that comes complete with an open air terrarium which runs through the center of the townhouse.
This year, for the first time, Ports 1961 held two Pre-Spring 2010 Previews. The first one was held exclusively for print media, while the second one, conceived by Ports 1961 Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing Tony Alcindor, was held for online media.
When asked about how this event, held on the second floor of the Ports 1961 boutique in a separate atelier, was conceived Alcindor told tFS: “I felt after doing my magazine editor pre-spring 2010 preview that the online editors and bloggers deserved the same accessibility. It was very important that our new media editors and writers got to view the newest collection up close and personal, just like the hard copy magazine editors. This is a new world we live in and online media presence is necessary in maintaining brand awareness.”
As for the collection itself, Tia Cibani once again delivered with a stunningly coherent – if significantly less ethnic- collection than her Fall/Winter 2010 show, which seemed heavily influenced by India. It was a wholly wearable mix of separates, dresses, outerwear, and accessories. Of particular note was a black blazer with one beaded lapel, a gorgeous black bolero jacket with painterly marks and slight ballooning at the shoulder, and primp and proper, light fitted knee length dresses done in multiple colors.
The collection itself was inspired by “the artistic collaboration and the deep mutual admiration between Charles Mackintosh and Margaret MacDonald. The presentation notes explained that Mackintosh was known for his participation in the Art Nouveau movement in Glasgow, Scotland, where he achieved international renown in interior design, craftwork, and textiles. In the same way that we look at Isabel and Ruben Toledo today as the quintessential example of a marriage of love, art, and fashion, Mackintosh’s wife, Margaret MacDonald, excelled in the same fields as her husband, but added a hint of Japanese aesthetic to the couple's professional collaborations.
For Cibani, their inspiration translated into a collection with clean silhouettes, straight lines, and bold grid patterns. The clean, simple lines were accentuated with light embellishments in onyx and pearl realized in matte and shine geometric beading. Besides black and white, there were a number of pieces done in plum and nude to enhance the stark contrast between the feminine aesthetic that dominates Ports 1961 clothing, and the sometimes androgynous tailoring.
The Pre-Spring 2010 Ports 1961 collection was a mix of expertly tailored, beautifully draped, and ultra light and feminine pieces that are sure to become staples in whatever women’s closets they find themselves in.
