Everyday Elegance
Tibi’s clean-lined and boldly colored take on modern tailoring will energize and empower your 9-to-5 wardrobe
How do city girls dress in the summer? In the deft hands of Tibi’s Amy Smilovic, workwear looks just as appealing as a vacation wardrobe for spring/summer 2019. As someone who began her career at an ad agency, Smilovic understands the desire to embrace color and dress in lighter fabrics during warmer months but still look sophisticated. “I’m crazy for prints and color in unexpected combinations,” she says. “And I love luxury with an absolute ease about it – simple but utterly modern.” Tibi’s latest collection delivers the iconic clean and confident separates that have made it a favorite amongst the fashion crowd, but with a seasonal twist.
Starting with the classic boardroom blazer, the New York-based designer subverted her suiting into something far cooler – figuratively and literally. The opening look was a simple yet failsafe checked suit, but instead of a classic button fastening, it comes with a nonchalant side-tie, creating a throw-on-and-go ease and a sensually languid silhouette. The matching pants are equally as relaxed with their loose, slightly oversized cut. Styled on the runway with a pair of simple leather flip flops and bottle-green acetate sunglasses, the look perfectly constructs a casual confidence. It’s the type of timeless two piece that you could wear over a white t-shirt in the heat, or a turtleneck in cooler climates and still look elegantly put together.
For those seeking sun-bleached colors to boost their mood during long days in the office, Tibi’s sherbet hues are like a shot of sartorial serotonin. The Tibi formula to making saccharine shades seem grown up is to temper them with earthier hues – such as candyfloss pink with burnt orange – or anchor them with urban grays or black.
The combination worked a treat on a longline blush-pink blazer over an ochre floaty silk dress with dove-gray boots on the runway. This type of laid-back femininity – a juxtaposition of tomboyish tailoring with ultra-feminine silhouettes – has become a brand hallmark.
Smilovic is also considered a color trendsetter and her label is renowned for its playful palettes. She attributes her artistic eye to a childhood spent watching her artist father paint. When she first launched Tibi in 1997 in Hong Kong, Smilovic discovered fresh inspiration in the local culture and textile markets. In the intervening 22 years, she has expertly edited her collections into a vibrant masterclass of color-blocking and texture clashes in the finest fabrics.
Whether you’re a Wall Street executive or a fashion editor embarking on Fashion Week, Tibi’s effortlessly polished, ultra-chic and directional-yet-uncomplicated wardrobe of elevated basics will make you stand out in a crowd for all the right reasons.