Review of Ports 1961 Fall 2022 Fashion Show
New Classics
By Mark Wittmer
The Fall 2022 collection from Ports 1961 was a strong synthesis of creative director Karl Templer’s recent redirection towards a fresh and youthful look for the brand and its long-established roots of refinement.
With its young, tough cool girl aesthetic, the spring collection from Ports 1961 played into the season’s overriding trend of down-aging, but it felt like it had lost sight of some of the grace, sophistication, and poise that has characterized the house’s legacy and image. This season saw Templer begin to successfully integrate into this youthful flirtiness a more maturely sophisticated sensibility, as well as a classic romanticism.
The carefree cuteness of short, wavy layered skirts (which felt like a development on last season’s frequent tennis skirts) was offset by the serious tailoring of blazers and double-breasted jackets, while high-platform, high-knee boots blended equestrian pomp with urban edge.
The ruffles and frills of these many skirts echoed throughout much of the collection in lace detailing, like ruffled collars and trims, and even showed up in some kooky knitwear.
The high-low layering was accompanied by a rich textural range, from feathers and decadently thick knits to airy sheers and glittering metallics.
While many of the pieces fall into distinct archetypes, they are always incorporated through poetically crafted design details into the collection’s unifying mood of sophisticated whimsy. There is clothing here for a range of women – young and old, on the street or at the gala – but whomever its wearer, and whatever the occasion, they will be illuminated with a timeless yet contemporary charm.