The lookbook images here do not paint an entirely accurate picture of Milan Vukmirovic’s first crack at Ports 1961—although most people would feel exactly the way the model appears to in look 34 if forced to wear that jacket. Anyway: Vukmirovic says his CEO offered him a fashion show for this debut, but he declined. Instead he presented a tight selection of garments, each of which came in 10 variations of decoration and fabrication. So there were 10 varieties of the shoulder-emphasizing, chest-baring belted cardigan that the bulked-up Vukmirovic favors. There were 10 duffel coats, some in semaphore-bright block colors, some in monotones veering from brights to good old navy. Ten white shirts in varieties of collar and sleeve; 10 collared, Guernsey-reminiscent knits; 10 cabans; 10 double-breasted overcoats; 10 bombers—some customizable to allow you to add your handle to the "Follow Me #" plea. Sure, there were some unfortunate pieces—hello again, look 34—but there was enough variation in the tweaked standards offered here to make an alluring retail proposition, and the garment-feel beguiled. To call this capital-F fashion would be stretching it, but this was a strong edit of men’s essentials. Now that he has his basis, Vukmirovic can start to build on it.
