Tia Cibani, Creative Director for Ports 1961

Tia Cibani

There’s a new bohemianism in fashion, a more elegant, exotic and pulled-together look exemplified by Ports 1961. The brand’s creative director, Tia Cibani, is behind a chic new mod-to-modern style that is gaining wide appeal among confident independent women who prefer to define their own personal style rather than mimic mall mannequins.

Cibani’s life and experiences have influenced her design aesthetic and inspired her latest collections. They reflect the passions of her life: an international perspective through world travel; a whimsy inspired by love of children; an ethnic flavor spiced up by a love of food; the “discreet surprises” found in modern art and contemporary architecture.

“My muse,” she says, “would be all the women in my life. I find it amazing when I can be inspired by my friend who is a stay-home mother and the president of Ports 1961, Jacqui Wenzel, or my sister who is a mother of three and a strong career woman who can juggle it all. They all indicate the times in which we live. So my muse is the courageous woman of this era who manages it all seamlessly!”

Born in North Africa and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Cibani is one of the most authentic influences on the Africa-inspired trend in women’s fashions this spring and summer. For fall, the line pays homage to boy-meets-girl, India-inspired colors, textures and silhouettes that harken back to the Mughal Dynasty.

Spring 2009

With Cibani at the helm. Ports 1961 has rapidly risen as an American luxury brand and become a favorite in China.

Cibani, 36, became interested in fashion as a child, watching her father’s retail business and developing an appreciation for fine fabrics, shapes and details. She later attended Parsons School of Design and apprenticed at Ports International in 1992 under the now-famous D Squared design team Dean and Dan Caten. Cibani soon moved to China and further developed the brand with her sister, Fiona.

After Cibani’s return to New York City in 2004, Ports 1961 began to soar. The Chelsea-based womenswear label became a regular presenter at New York Fashion Week in 2006, and a showroom opened in Milan in 2007. In 2008, the brand showed at Paris Fashion Week and opened a store on Melrose in Los Angeles. This year, a sleek showroom designed by architect Michael Gabellini opened in New York’s historic Meatpacking Distric.

Fall 2009

Along the way, Ports 1961 has dressed celebs such as Sandra Bullock, Anjelina Jolie and Ali Larter. The brand has grown beyond apparel to accessories, including organic-inspired jewelry and architectural hats and wooden handbags. In every design, there’s a mature femininity that manages to stop short of taking itself too seriously.