Tibi Flavors Its Luxurious Minimalism with a Hint of Athleticism for Fall 2024

Andrea Bossi

Mon, February 12, 2024 at 12:34 AM UTC

4 min read

New York-based label Tibi is known for its minimalist and approachable-yet-modern designs. For Fall 2024, it injects its established aesthetic with a "sport vibe," per Founder Amy Smilovic, who challenged herself to maintain an elevated feeling with touches of athleticism — "mixing luxurious fabrics with high sport details."

A pair of double-layered pinstripe trousers are a prime example of this approach, with a higher elastic waistband that extends a few inches above the belted "top" of the pants, providing a polished appearance with the comfort of a sweatpant. A bodysuit, dubbed the "fencing tee," reflects the asymmetric quality found in some of the sports jackets.

"As a team and as a company, we're all kind of competitive," she said. "It seems like all of us did sports growing up. I was a tennis player." (On the Tibi team, there are also soccer players, skiers and runners.)

Beyond athletics, Smilovic wanted to capture a certain quiet confidence for Fall 2024. "This season really was just about encapsulating a vibe that we wanted — usually it's a movie or something that we're drawn to, but Tracy [Bui-Amar, the brand's SVP of design] and I started out with photography from the '90s," she said. "We were trying to unpack what it was that was drawing us to them. It was about this strength and sense of knowledge of who you are. It's not overly self-consciousness."

Smilovic revealed the collection at Tibi's Wooster Street flagship, converting it into a gallery-like space for New York Fashion Week. Clothes hung on hand-sculpted ceramic hangers by Kara Janx, while songs like "K." by dream-pop band Cigarettes After Sex played, mirroring the interior's moody and mellow energy. The walls were covered by lookbook imagery, which stars Kristen McMenamy. ("When I think about when we did this photo shoot with Kristen, she wasn't looking around wondering if people will think that she's strange," Smilovic noted. "There's a timidness with a lot of models today. They're not really given permission to come in and be these artists in their own right.")

Staying true to the brand, solid neutrals (like black, deep navy, ash gray and cream) dominate the color palette, and fine materials, like Japanese denim and Italian wool, are utilized throughout. Pops of color and dimension only exist in accessories, like a bright-green scarf, gold ballet loafers and transparent rain boots. Fall 2024 also incorporates some illusory details that become clear only upon closer inspection, suggesting these clothes are meant to be worn, experienced: A boiled wool dress in cream is actually constructed by combining two sweaters, for example; a bubble hem skirt is made using godet and then pinching and tacking the fabric.

Keep scrolling to see all the looks from Tibi Fall 2024.