Tibi’s Coastal Connection It’s not every day that you’re invited to get a glimpse into personal style sessions and the creative process behind the launch of the fall campaign for an über-chic New York-based designer fashion label. When EIL was contacted by Tibi about Founder & Creative Director Amy Smilovic’s upcoming visit to the island and plans to shoot the line’s Fall 2021 collection at SCAD, we were thrilled to be offered the exclusive invitation to participate. But this rare opportunity speaks perfectly to a key element of the Tibi brand in 2021: accessibility. Some of you may only know Tibi as a store or NY designer label you see advertised in our pages or showcased during Fashion Week, or even as a mid-island shop where young women flock when visiting the island. You may not be aware that Tibi has local roots. Amy is the daughter of Island residents Ken and Judy Wallin and a graduate of Glynn Academy. Inspired by the local culture and textiles while living in Hong Kong, she founded Tibi there in 1997, before returning to the States a few years later and setting up a studio in a Soho loft. (Fun fact: you can see Amy’s studio, complete with some of her design sketches in the movie Devil Wears Prada.) Fashion insiders love Tibi’s relaxed and minimal designs, eye-catching prints, unexpected color combinations, and modern celebration 48
ELEGANT ISLAND LIVING
