Fiona Cibani tapped into the strength that we've been seeing at the shows this week at Ports 1961 but rather going down the body contouring pieces that we saw at brands like Victoria Beckham and Cusnie et Ochs, her version was a lot less overt. The jackets of two piece suits came femininely nipped in at the waist and oozed power and a serious of white dresses with sheer rushing on the sleeves also managed to straddle the line between femininity and strength.

That aside, what was most successful about this collection was Cibani's emphasis on fabrics. The minimal and boxy shapes of the pieces really emphasises the luxurious fabrics like sheared mink on coats and a great shiny fabric on colour blocked top teamed over a black cashmere turtleneck and teamed with black wide leg trousers.

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The '70s were calling at Ports 1961's Spring show, the first of the brand's runway collections with Fiona Cibani - sister of former creative director Tia. And bring back the pantsuits and free-flowing gowns, we say. It was a whimsical, globe-trotting trip into the past, and in golds, greens and pastels that any closet can love.

A trip to southern Tunisia inspired Cibani's design venture, with the bolder colours of nature (think fuschia and even bright pink) making an appearance on the catwalk. Sophisticated shorts added a versatile air to a balanced collection - our favorites pieces from which were the closing dresses in gold worn chiffon. If this is what Fiona Cibani's creations will look like, then we can't wait to see more of them.

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Tia Cibani, Creative Director for Ports 1961 is due to leave her position at the end of this month, WWD reports. After having creative control over the brand for five years, it's not yet known where Cibani will move to next, however it has been revealed who her successor will be, and its safe to say that Ports 1961 is keeping it firmly within the family.

Fiona Cibani, the current creative director for the Ports International brand will take over little sister Tia's role within Ports 1961, heading up the creative department for both brands. Although Tia is seen to be instrumental to the success of the 1961 brand, it is Fiona's entrepreneurial husband Alfred Chan who purchased the company back in 1989, and so we have no doubt that Fiona will be at ease in her newly acquired role.

Tia Cibani gave us a bit of everything for fall: graphic-print full-lenth gowns, slouchy long-sleeved pantsuits, and metallic sheath dresses, to name a few. The Ports 1961 designer was going for "discovery and invention" in her A/W10 collection, and that amounted to architectural silhouettes with touches of rich tailoring for this increasingly popular New York favourite.

Cibani's strong points were probably at her simplest, as in a sweetly printed sage-green dress that invoked details of the Old World. She added variety with layering - whether adding thick wool cardigans to evening dresses or printed, '70s-silhouette capes to cocktail styles - keeping with the trend this season that more can be better. But no matter which looks the Ports 1961 customers flock to this fall, they'll want to remember one thing: to pair every outfit with the heavy-metal necklaces models sported on the runway.

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We got a good feeling about Thursday's Ports 1961 runway show from the moment our invite (a day planner with events already penciled in, plus a packet of rosemary seeds for the garden we always plan to start) arrived in the mail. And now, we can see more of what designer Tia Cibani has in mind. "My collection is inspired by the relationship between discovery and invention," Cibani said today. Mysterious, we say, kind of like the dark cape silhouette and hooded hat shown in this sneak-peak sketch from the fall collection.

If you, like us, are curious to see what else Cibani plans for A/W10, then grab your laptop and head to Vogue.com this Thursday at 3 p.m. EST. The label will live stream its runway show for anyone with internet access and an obsession with the goings-on at Bryant Park. Getting a front-row seat from the comfort of your own home might be ideal - especially considering the snowstorm facing all the East Coast fashionistas and their heels this week.

It's less than a month to New York Fashion Week, and we couldn't be more excited for the runway-season rush. Preparing wardrobes, arranging interviews, considering the social scene: all of these things play an important part in one of our favourites times of year. Now, Ports 1961 is offering two lucky guests a chance to take part in the spectacle.

The classics-with-a-twist brand is giving away two tickets to the Ports 1961 runway show, scheduled for Feb. 11 at 3 p.m., plus four very big perks: a personal meet-and-greet with designer Tia Cibani, car service to and from the show, dinner for two at a restaurant in the Meatpacking district, and a $500 gift certificate to spend in the label's Meatpacking district store.

You can submit your entry for the contest here, and considering all the goodies attached to the giveaway, you'd be well advised to do so at your earliest convenience. And if you happen to win, then be sure to let us know - we want a full recap from your fashion-week debut.