NewYork fashion weekThe beautifully decrepit ballroom of the Hotel Wolcott was heavily perfumed with rose incense. It smelled like the inside of an antique jewelry box, the ring pillow stuffed with dried petals. A pianist played in the background, while models with hair piled high on their heads posed in sets of two or three. At Tia Cibani's Fall presentation, the past was very present.

"It's a little bit more Victorian, but not literal," said Cibani of the concept, which was inspired by turn-of-the-century artist Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh. "There's a romantic femininity. I've been going there a lot, it seems."

For Fall, Cibani expanded on last season's velvet story with dusty rose and topaz dresses and gowns, a few decorated with an ornate lace appliqué meant to look like a harness. The tulip skirt was a key shape, either made from sculpted marled wool or Fortuny-pleated silk. While hefty fabrics were important—duchesse satin was fashioned into a strapless peplum top and matching trousers; nubby tweed was done up as a curved-hem cape with an attached scarf wrapped around the neck—Cibani also presented a painted-glass print she developed in-house. The Art Nouveau motif—in line with Mackintosh's work—added the right amount of novelty to a serious collection.

Fashion Brand: Tia Cibani | www.tiacibani.com

In her debut season, Spring/Summer 2013, Tia Cibani won the Fashion Group International Rising Star Award in women’s wear, honoring the best in emerging fashion talent.