Tibi / womenswear
By Stella Tan
PrintWhile most of fashion is on a punk rock kick, it seems that Tibi designer Amy Smilovic has been out of town. Unfazed by the studs and black leather pervading New York (and, by extension, the Bryant Park tents), Smilovic instead delivered a spring collection fit for a jet-setting Palm Beach vacation. With the exception of some very à la mode harem pants and crop tops, Tibi kept it simple, sending models breezing down the runway in slinky slip dresses, easy separates, and no jewelry or accessories apart from a pair of nude heels. Of course, the brand wouldn’t be itself without its signature prints, offered this season in pared-down versions: a splash of electric blue poppies on a white sheath, for example, or hummingbirds etched in DayGlo colors muted against a black chiffon background. If the first part of the show felt like an afternoon at the resort, the second half was more Palm Beach-by-night, featuring the same unfussy, laid-back cool but glammed up with sequins and a recurring black-and-white graphic pattern. Smilovic may not be breaking any new ground, but the designer has perfected a ladylike, subtly sexy aesthetic that has its place in closets both uptown and downtown. To rock the look up in Morningside Heights, play with contrasting brights—Tibi proves that neon orange and blue can work together as long as the silhouette remains simple—or pick one flourescent piece and balance it out with a neutral color like gray, dusty pink, or black.
30 April 2009
vol. 6, issue 12
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