Tibi’s resort 2025 collection began with a search for meaning. “We were searching for things that had meaning to us even when we didn’t know why,” Amy Smilovic explained during an appointment in her Manhattan office. “All of a sudden, our board was filled with Korean formal traditional dress, 1920s tennis players, and artwork by Paul Klee. It was the most random assortment of things.” The resulting lineup didn’t feel random at all, and was instead grounded by an undeniably sporty, preppy feel.
An old Tibi logo from 1997 that featured an elephant was brought back and turned into a crest and applied to navy blazers and crewneck sweaters; climbing-inspired carabiner clips, first popularized by Chopova Lowena, appeared as subtle functional details that allowed a pleated skirt to transform into a pencil skirt by simply removing the pleated panel. “You can even attach them to other things, like if you want to wear a skirt over your jeans or whatever,” Smilovic demonstrated. “I don’t like it when things are one-and-done, I hate being totally committed to a certain look; and so this malleability is so important and our customers really seek it out.” A reversible trench coat also utilized carabiners and small metal loops to “cuff” the hem and make it shorter. “I love a to-the-ground trench, but when you’re not running around it’s not always completely practical,” she added.
Elsewhere, a cotton jacket that was half-bomber, half-field jacket featured a contrasting corduroy collar that was removable. It came with a matching pencil skirt with pleats at the waistband that added the same ease as a pair of classic khaki pants. “A Goldman Sachs executive can wear this, but the corduroy would make it too casual,” she explained matter-of-factly. “So she can wear it without at the office, and with on the weekend.”
When Smilovic talks about her customers, it is obvious that these are real women she’s thinking about, women that she meets through her brand’s own robust social media channels. With this collection in particular, born out of vibes instead of something more concrete, she has created building blocks for a legitimately cool wardrobe, things that by extension can help her customers unlock their own sense of personal style—the search for which is a constant on TikTok and Instagram.
It’s not only the convertible pieces that are exciting, but also the way she incorporates materials—like a simple double tank in sporty jersey, or a circle skirt in tech-y nylon—and her use of color. The aforementioned pleated skirt comes in white and navy but also a purple-ish gray color (unfortunately not featured in the lookbook); instead of brown or peach, Smilovic offers cotton separates in an in-between terracotta hue; a lingerie-inspired skirt comes in khaki green with a burst of orange lace. The latter is smartly paired with a simple navy button-down.
Seeing the full collection on the racks it’s evident that she’s giving her customers the ability to easily push themselves out of their comfort zones, experiment with trends, and discover how to have fun with their style. And for the ones who already know how to do that; well, consider the candy-colored feather-covered pumps, and aggressively square-toed retro sneakers as special treats.
