“I envisioned a streamlined, articulated collection influenced by modern architecture, linear silhouettes, textures and colors.”
- Fiona Cibani

PORTS 1961: NY Public Library Celeste Bartos Forum

A Ports woman desires a linear, slightly romantic silhouette that hints
at her intellect; she is serious, yet slightly romantic and always current.
The Ports collection was illuminated by pure, natural light on the first floor of New York Public Library’s Celeste Bartos Forum. For the ladies
who lunch, the noontime presentation was perfection.

The room glowed with a white, sterile ambiance, as models traversed
the space on a rectangular runway. Supple fabrics in subtle hues
of ivory folded and tucked and were punctuated by sprites of a sunset orange and pink. Belts resembling bits of tubing cinched round the waist serve as a focal point. Jewelry is nearly utilitarian, as a squared bracelet surrounds the wrist and is connected to a squared ring surrounding
the finger.

Looks from the collection were diverse and ranged from the JOSEPHINE - sheer isosceles jacquard organza with embroidery sleeveless short dress, and a nude jersey sleeveless slip, to the VALERIJA – white segmented silk with organza triangle burnout with embroidered plackets sleeveless top, white heavy stretch satin cotton with embroidered beads and a plackets short skirt. Perhaps the most intriguing looks were debuted conspicuously in the middle of collection. Described as a ‘flower’ on the Ports run of show, the images printed on four plisee silk dresses struck me as anatomical; the dresses were rather inside out, in them I saw bones stretched over tendons.

These dresses are a bit chilling, a bit provocative and a welcome surprise.
The rays of sun flooding the Forum were clarifying. The season
as envisioned by Fiona Cibani certainly is one of a future deluxe.

- Elizabeth Katharine James