By Ka Yee Chan
On Wednesday, February 5, Tia Cibani started her collection with a cup of sweet Moroccan tea. Everyone was enjoying the cup of sweet Moroccan tea in his or her hands, and waiting for the door to open for the presentation. As soon as the door was opened, the aroma greeted us. The room was decorated with Moroccan style. The models, one by one, were walking on the Moroccan carpets as if it were a parade.
The collection was full of textures and a whirl of colors, such as jewel green, pistachio green, pinkish-purple, blue, greys, and a pop of blood orange and a shine of metallic. With the themes of dance and ceremony, many of the silhouettes were loose and performed in exaggerated shapes. Tia composed easy shapes of kimono sleeves, cape structures, and full skirts into some of the pieces of her collection. She used Damask Ottoman stripes, which were cut and pleated in exaggerated shapes. They were very comfortable pieces, but at the same time the shapes and attitudes of the pieces were retained.
Tia’s collection presented a conservative and traditional sense of style. Tunic tops were styled with pants, and full skirts and dresses gently skimmed the floor. Even so, the collection was still fun and exciting. The use of blurred floral print enhanced the poetic essence of the collection.
The use of colors, textures, shapes and styling of models made the whole theme and purpose of the collection come all together. It was a very completed presentation, from beginning to end.
“A whirl of color, texture and heritage harkens to a poetic nostalgia of east meets west; of old and new.”
About the designer: born in North Africa and raised in Canada, Tia Cibani lived and worked for extensive periods in China. In 2004, she came to New York to relaunch Ports 1961, where as Creative Director she led the design team, oversaw a major retail expansion, and created a successful red carpet collection that dressed notable women of Hollywood and beyond. During New York Fashion Week in September 2012, Tia introduced her namesake brand, and was quickly named a new designer to watch by Style.com, Vogue Italia, and WWD.
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