September 7, 2007

Spring 2008 was safari season for Ports 1961. The influence of East and North Africa was obvious in everything from raffia turbans, jersey head wraps, and horsehair necklaces, to khaki jackets and tribal music. An earthy mix of fabrics came in the modest tones of a spice market: saffron, ginger, and mud. The collection had the handcrafted feel of something made by a meticulous village seamstress, with elegantly careless knotting and draping on most dresses to accent shoulders and collar bones and homespun elements such as tie-dyed dresses and burlap belts. The aproned pants, solid wood basket bag, and burlap handbags may have been a bit impractical for front row princess, Ivanka Trump, suggesting that designer Tia Cibani may have taken her vision of an African farmer woman too far (starved villager/model jokes came easy as people shuffled out of the tent). Despite this, Cibani delivered a few beautifully draped and tied pieces in layered fabrics, introducing an easy, natural vibe that turns refreshingly away from the severity of fall.