Tibi
United States
Tibi is a New York womenswear brand founded in 1997 by Amy Smilovic. It designs ready to wear, shoes and accessories under a philosophy it calls Creative Pragmatism, and sells through department stores, boutiques and its own channels.
| Founded | 1997 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Amy Smilovic |
| Headquarters | New York, United States |
| Segment | Luxury and designer houses |
| First store | New York, September 2006 |
| Outlet store | Saint Simons Island, Georgia (2015) |
| Website | tibi.com |
What is Tibi?
Tibi is an American ready to wear label founded in 1997 by Amy Smilovic, who remains its creative director. The brand describes its design approach as Creative Pragmatism based on a chill, modern and classic sensibility, with each piece balancing creativity and practicality.
Products and positioning
Tibi's range spans jackets and outerwear, tops, skirts, trousers, dresses, knitwear, denim, suiting and leisure sets. It also sells shoes, hats, belts, socks, handbags and jewellery, and has added fragrance. The website organises products into themes such as the Packing Hub, which offers edits for a long weekend, a week or an extended trip. It also publishes books and objects, including The Creative Pragmatist and The Tibi Color Wheel.
- Ready to wear: suiting, knitwear, denim and dresses.
- Accessories: shoes, handbags, jewellery and hats.
- Content: Style Class and styling edits by the founder.
- Outlet: discounted apparel and accessories online.
Business model and distribution
According to Wikipedia, Tibi is sold through high end department stores and boutiques worldwide, including Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's, Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Selfridges. Its first retail store opened in New York in September 2006, and an outlet store opened on Saint Simons Island, Georgia, in 2015. The design studio, showroom and flagship store are in SoHo. The website also links to a stockist directory and an outlet section.
Why it matters
Tibi is a long running independent American contemporary label that has built a clear, founder led point of view and a content driven relationship with customers. Its mix of wholesale, own retail and direct to consumer sales is representative of how premium independent brands operate today.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Tibi?
Tibi was founded in 1997 by Amy Smilovic, who leads the brand as creative director. The studio, showroom and flagship store are in SoHo, New York.
Where is Tibi sold?
Tibi is sold through its own website and stores and through department stores and boutiques such as Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrods and Selfridges.