Following a Spring collection that Fiona Cibani described as "very dreamy and floaty," the Ports 1961 designer headed in a more architectural direction for pre-fall, taking cues from Italian Baroque artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini's operatic sculptures. "This season, our customer wants to be defined and precise," she said at an appointment. A racer-back cocktail sheath in royal purple crepe de chine came with slightly padded hips that emphasized an hourglass silhouette. The peplumlike green mink bodice on another to-the-knee number with a cashmere skirt had a similar figure-forming effect. On the topic of that fur-trimmed dress, luxury materials received top billing here. Cibani used an ultra-fine nappa leather (once only used for gloves) on a pair of relaxed yet slim leather pants, and elevated everyday essentials like a sweatshirt or T-shirt in bonded satin or python, respectively. The ultra-luxe staples provided this well-considered but relatively safe Ports lineup with a needed youthful edge.
