Ports International
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fashion |
| Founded | 1961 |
| Founder | Luke Tanabe |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong , China |
Area served | Global, with focus on China and Asia |
Key people | Alfred Chan, Edward Tan, Fiona Cibani, Salem Cibani, Jenny Tan |
| Products | Women's and men's ready-to-wear apparel and accessories |
Number of employees | 310 (retail stores managed by Ports Design in 2014) |
| Parent | Portico International Holdings Ltd. |
| Website | www |
Ports is a global luxury fashion house established in 1961 in Toronto by Japanese Canadian designer Luke Tanabe. The brand focuses on high-end women's and men's ready-to-wear apparel and accessories. In 1989, Chinese Canadian siblings Alfred Chan and Edward Tan acquired the company, initiating its expansion into the Chinese market during the early 1990s. The parent organization, once publicly traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange from 2003 until its privatization in 2018, manages a network exceeding 300 retail locations. Its sub-brands include Ports (International) targeting Asian markets and Ports 1969, supported by subsidiaries based in Milan and New York City, alongside a flagship Paris store serving global distribution.
History
Originally launched as Newport Canada in 1961 with a focus on importing Japanese apparel, the business transitioned into a women's fashion label renamed Ports International in 1966 under Luke Tanabe’s direction. The brand expanded across North America during the 1970s, opening flagship stores in Manhattan (1970), Boston, Palo Alto, and later establishing a presence on London’s Bond Street (1978), complemented by boutiques in Cambridge and Bath.
Design stewardship evolved over time, with Tanabe’s daughters Christine and Miki joining as designers from 1980, followed by Dean and Dan Caten as co-designers in 1988, and subsequently creative directors Fiona and Tia Cibani—relatives of future owners—from 1992.
In 1980, Tanabe introduced Tabi International, a Canadian retail chain providing more affordable women’s fashion. Upon retiring in 1989, he divested Ports and Tabi to Toronto-based Etac Sales Ltd. (ESL), co-founded by Chinese-Canadian entrepreneurs Alfred K.T. Chan and Edward Tan, originally from near Xiamen.
Following ESL’s bankruptcy in 1994, Alfred Chan repurchased Ports’ Asian rights and assets for CAD 6 million. He concentrated efforts on China and Australia while selling off operations in the U.S. and U.K. Together with his brother, Chan launched Ports 1961 in China, inaugurating the first mono-brand boutique in Shanghai in 1993.
In 1994, Chan founded Ports Design Ltd. alongside his wife Fiona Cibani in Xiamen; this entity went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (0589.HK) in 2003. Fiona Cibani joined Ports’ design team in 1989, with her sister Tia following in 1990; both sisters are of Italian-Libyan heritage holding Canadian citizenship. The Tabi International chain was dissolved by 2011.
Positioning itself as an accessible Western luxury label within China, Ports utilized prominent advertising campaigns featuring supermodels such as Claudia Schiffer and Kate Moss to compete at price points below those of European and American luxury designers.
In 2015, Ports Design Ltd. was rebranded as Portico International Holdings Ltd., headquartered in Hong Kong with incorporation in Bermuda. By May 2018, it was acquired by Bluestone Global Holdings Ltd., a shareholder within Alfred Chan’s and Edward Tan’s PCD Group, resulting in its removal from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange listing. The PCD Group operates more than 300 outlets across over 50 cities throughout China, along with stores located in Paris, Hong Kong, and Macau—including flagship locations for various Ports brands. Most subsidiaries on mainland China are structured as wholly foreign-owned enterprises.
Fashion divisions
- Ports International (promoted as Ports) — collections for women, accessories, and menswear aimed at Chinese and broader Asian consumers; retail outlets situated within China
- Ports 1961 — global womenswear runway collection; menswear range available from 2011 until 2017; flagship boutique located in Paris
- Ports Pure — lively fashion line introduced in 2015 catering to younger female clientele in China; stores established across China
- Ports V — initiated in 2018 as an innovative unisex collection globally and a menswear line targeting younger buyers in China; flagship store based in Shanghai
Ports 1961
In 2004, the Ports brand was revitalized in North America by Chan under the New York City-based label Ports 1961, with Tia Cibani, sister of Fiona Cibani, at the creative helm, emphasizing contemporary minimalist womenswear. Tia Cibani resigned in April 2010, with Fiona Cibani assuming the role of creative director. By 2011, Ports 1961 had established retail locations in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, West Hollywood, Manhattan, Paris, London (via shop-in-shop), and mainland China. That year also saw the launch of a cutting-edge menswear collection designed by Fiona Cibani alongside Ian Hylton. Womenswear lines were presented at New York Fashion Week, while menswear debuted at Milan Fashion Week. Salem Cibani took on the CEO position in 2011. From 2013 onwards, womenswear runway presentations shifted to Milan. In 2012, the brand’s headquarters and manufacturing operations moved from New York to Milan. By 2014, all Canadian retail outlets had been shuttered.
Ian Hylton departed in spring 2014. Subsequently, French-Serbian designer Milan Vukmirovic—previously affiliated with Gucci and Jil Sander—was appointed as menswear creative director later that year. By the end of 2014, Ports Design based in Hong Kong managed 310 retail stores offering products produced in Xiamen under the Ports International and Ports 1961 labels, alongside licensed lines for BMW Lifestyle, Armani Collezioni, Armani Jeans, and Versace. Natasa Cagalj was named women’s creative director in December 2014. In September 2015, Ports 1961 inaugurated its first US menswear-exclusive boutique located in Manhattan.
Starting in 2016, womenswear runway shows were held during London Fashion Week with a design studio established there under Natasa Cagalj’s leadership. The spring 2016 menswear collection featured a collaboration with boxing brand Everlast. Jenny Tan succeeded Salem Cibani as CEO in 2017. That year, Ports 1961 drew criticism for its contentious use of Black Lives Matter themes during its spring 2018 menswear presentation. The menswear division was discontinued by the end of 2017; the Meatpacking District store closed that same year. Mid-2018 marked the launch of Ports V, a contemporary streetwear-inspired unisex line developed under Vukmirovic.
In August 2019, Fabien Baron and Karl Templer were appointed as creative directors of Ports 1961 following Natasa Cagalj’s departure earlier that year. The brand transitioned away from minimalist aesthetics toward more vibrant collections featuring unisex designs appealing to a younger audience.
In early 2020, Ports 1961 made a return to Milan Fashion Week showcasing womenswear collections. In May of that year, the company entered into a ten-year eyewear licensing agreement with Italian manufacturer Safilo Group for distribution within the Chinese market. The Paris flagship store situated on Rue Saint-Honoré inside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel remains the brand’s only international boutique; additional locations operate in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Hong Kong.
References
Further reading
- Savigny Newsletter – Issue 10, October 2009 [1]
- Globe and Mail - November 2009 "Luke Tanabe, Founder of Ports International, Remained Committed to His Vision" [2]