Amy Smilovic makes clothes that women simply want to wear. To achieve that, though, is anything but simple.
Each season, the designer includes key pieces to build upon — the perfect white button-down shirt, paper-thin ribbed knits to layer, slightly slouchy trousers that toe the line between cool and professional. These classic pieces stand out for their fit and proportion, while being extremely wearable.
What’s practical can also be fun to wear. A creative take on that was a modern spin on the crinoline. Rounded, sculptural dresses and skirts in lightweight, printed fabric, some paired with a sleek racer tank, offered a sporty and sophisticated look, evoking the sense of ease Smilovic’s designs are known for.
“I wanted to create shapes that would have a lot of interest but a lot of utility at the same time. So to create something that is off the body and very sculptural but still very elegant to me. Soft but strong at the same time was where we were going,” said Smilovic.
The designer referenced the German artist Ursula Sax’s Geometric Ballet along with Brutalist and Bauhaus architecture for spring. Sharply tailored pencil skirts, dropped-shoulder blazers, and the clean neckline of a dress were some of the noticeable details of these movements and sculpture.
In essence, form and function were punctuated by moments of delight. And that’s the formula that established Tibi as a brand approaching 30 years in business.
When asked how she has evolved over this time and what were some learnings she held onto and some things she let go, Smilovic said, “Anything I’ve let go was anything that was like of a moment in time. I think that in the past, it was hard to separate moments in time with who you were as a brand, because you were selling to stores who wanted you locked in to a moment in time. But what is really new since 2020, we don’t work with any department stores or any of the mass e-commerce players, and so we’re not beholden to really meet their needs. It’s very much about what we want to create. And then we can tell our story, and then our stores understand it and our customers understand it, and then we don’t need to worry about a department store or anyone like that right there.”
