Ports 1961
Ports 1961, the giant of ready-to-wear luxury
Ports 1961 is a Canadian fashion brand, founded in 1961 by Japanese-Canadian entrepreneur Luke Tanabe (1920-2009) in Toronto.
Ports 1961 collections are modern and elegant, and are characterized by hand-finished details, refined tailoring and fabrics of European origin. The garments are inspired by a multicultural vision and offer bright colours, red, blue, yellow and pink. He sees a specialization in luxury prêt-à-porter and accessories for men and women.
You start with the importation of silk, later becoming known as an upscale women’s brand. In the mid-1970s, the brand expanded across Canada and the United States, also launching their own menswear line. 1983 saw the brand open its Bond Street store in London.
In 2014, Milan Vukmirovic became the new creative director of Ports 1961 menswear, with his first collection for spring/summer 2015 inspired by the Greek goddess Artemis. For the women’s collections, Natasa Cagalj, former Stella McCartey and Victoria Beckham takes over.
In 2017, the Canadian brand, entrusted to the creative guidance of Natasa Cagalj and Milan Vukmirovic, appointed Jenny Tan as new chief executive officer and Matteo De Rosa as managing director. The following year, Milan launched the Ports v line, a see now, nuy now collection of contemporary streetwear inspiration.
In August 2019, Fabien Baron and Karl Templer became the new creative directors of Ports 1961. Showing at London Fashion Week for a couple of seasons, the Ports wardrobe abandons the traditional minimalism of the label, in the name of bright colors, contrasts of patterns and materials.
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