Today’s Tibi collection was happily logo-free. Not that you’d expect to see logos at Tibi; backstage, Amy Smilovic said hers will never be a “logo brand.” Instead, she aims to offer hero pieces that are recognizably Tibi, like the poplin off-the-shoulder blouse of 2015 and last season’s pleated, long-sleeved saffron dress, which several women in the front row were wearing on this gloomy Sunday.
Smilovic is acutely aware of fashion’s logomania problem, though, so she had a clever antidote: trenchcoats, scarves, and blazers “spray painted” with construction symbols you typically see on New York streets. They reflected the loose, overarching theme of the collection: cities and architecture. Simply put, these were clothes that could stand up to, say, a fashion editor’s 14-hour day during New York Fashion Week or a Wall Street executive’s hectic conference schedule. The suits were relaxed, but not quite as boxy as in seasons past, and styled with traffic-cone orange or violet T-shirts. Smilvoic made a convincing argument for the oversize turtleneck–over–pencil skirt combo, too, which could pass in several office environments.
Fans of Tibi’s dresses won’t be disappointed either. A few came in the sleek, modest silhouette that’s popular right now, like a cherry red long-sleeved frock with sporty drawstrings at the waist and a similar style in electric blue. Another long-sleeved, high-neck dress (almost every look covered the neck, in fact) came in what appeared to be a navy and white equestrian print—but upon closer inspection, the print featured not just leather belts, but also tightly wound bungee cords and tiny versions of those construction symbols. Scarf prints are an emerging trend this week, but this might be the only one with an industrial twist.
