Amy Smilovic unveiled her spring/summer 2013 collection this past Saturday, where front row spectators included it-girls Solange Knowles, Olivia Palermo, and Leandra Medine.  During the past few seasons, Tibi’s success has exploded, mainly due to its basic essentials that are simple but timeless.

This season, Tibi played to its strengths, building on its reputation for its minimalist and chic designs. Models with center parted pin straight hair strutted across the runway wearing emblematic feminine pieces, such as A-line dresses, pleated skirts, and peplum tops.  These lady-like silhouettes, however, were not the exclusive focus of the collection.  What I really enjoyed was that Smilovic contrasted these feminine elements with other menswear inspired pieces, such as slouchy trousers, boxy vests, and blazers.

Not only did the collection embody both femininity and masculinity, but it also played with opposite color schemes.  When spring comes around, I usually leave my black garments behind, solely focusing on fresher hues, such as pastels, creams, and whites.  Smilovic, however, proved me wrong, by the using black in conjunction with pale yellows, powder blues, and candyfloss pinks.  Also present in the collection, was an interesting warped checkerboard print that amalgamated the neutral tones with pastel pink.

Also noted, were the various types of fabrics and materials that Smilovic used in the collection.  Along with the fancy floral eyelets and sheer chiffons, were edgier and more casual materials such as leather and light wash denim.  These unlikely duos, however, surprisingly worked well together.  Smilovic’s fusion of unexpected combinations has given me further inspiration to not be afraid of mixing and matching in the coming seasons.

By Esther Jung