Tia Cibani Spring/Summer 2013

Kicking off New York Fashion Week, Tia Cibani, former creative director of Ports 1961, debuted her first namesake collection for Spring Summer 2013 at the Atlantic Theatre Company.

The collection featured menswear inspired pieces with clean, crisp lines in a variety of neutral colored silk fabrics. Models wore minimalist, natural makeup and bohemian-chic braided up-dos that contrasted nicely with the sleek silhouettes of the clothing.  Standout pieces of the collection included a honeycomb silk lamé shift dress and a pair of wide-leg silk navy trousers.

The show had an organic feel as models flounced onstage to the beat of tribal music while wearing a mix of wooden heels and moccasin toe flats. Cibani used a vintage style tapestry by artist Jan Kath as the backdrop for her collection.

Cibani cited her time spent living in China as part of the inspiration for her collection, stating that she wanted the clothes to have a “global” feel. Open-back blouses and a silk cocoon draped bandeau gown are just some key pieces from a collection that could either be dressed up or down and worn from day to night.

It was an overall successful first collection from Cibani, who has dreamt of having her own collection from the time she was very young. She described the entire process as; “unplanned” and that it happened “very organically.”

Emily Hannon is a contributing writer. Email her at fashion@nyunews.com.