Ports International
Ports International is a Canadian-founded luxury fashion house that developed into a major China-focused apparel and retail group.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Ports International is a luxury fashion house founded in Toronto in 1961 by Japanese Canadian designer Luke Tanabe. The business began as Newport Canada, an importer of Japanese clothing, before shifting toward women’s fashion and adopting the Ports International name in 1966. Tanabe developed the company into a North American fashion label during the 1960s and 1970s, opening boutiques and flagship locations in major commercial centers including Manhattan, Boston, Palo Alto and London’s Bond Street. The brand’s early identity combined Canadian origins, Japanese-influenced design heritage and an international luxury positioning. Tanabe’s daughters Christine and Miki joined the design operation in 1980, while Dean and Dan Caten worked with the company as co-designers in 1988. The business also created a more accessible women’s clothing chain, Tabi International, in 1980. In 1989, Tanabe retired and sold Ports and Tabi to Etac Sales Ltd., a Toronto company co-founded by Chinese Canadian entrepreneurs Alfred K. T. Chan and Edward Tan. The ownership transition ultimately redirected the brand’s center of gravity toward Asia. Etac Sales entered bankruptcy proceedings in 1994. Alfred Chan subsequently reacquired selected assets, including an apparel factory in Xiamen, test stores in Shanghai and Xiamen, and long-term Asian and Australian rights to the Ports name. He and Edward Tan chose to concentrate Ports’ retail activity in China and Asia while selling or closing most United States and United Kingdom operations. The first Chinese mono-brand store opened in 1993, and the group built a substantial mainland retail network. In China, Ports was presented as an attractive Western luxury brand manufactured through the group’s Xiamen operations and positioned below many European and American designer labels. International advertising featuring models such as Claudia Schiffer and Kate Moss supported that image. In 1994, Alfred Chan and Fiona Cibani established Ports Design Ltd. in Xiamen. Cibani, who had joined the design department in 1989, later became Chan’s wife and a central creative figure in the business. Her sister Tia Cibani also worked as a designer and later led Ports 1961. Ports Design was listed in Hong Kong in 2003 and renamed Portico International Holdings Ltd. in 2015. In May 2018, the company was acquired by shareholder Bluestone Global Holdings Ltd., whose parent was Ports International Enterprises Ltd.; the transaction resulted in privatization and delisting. The brand house has operated several lines. Ports, also referred to as Ports International in China and other Asian markets, covers women’s wear, men’s wear and accessories. Ports 1961 was developed as a globally oriented runway label, initially centered on modern women’s wear and later expanded into men’s wear. Ports Pure targeted younger Chinese women, while Ports V was introduced as a progressive unisex and streetwear-influenced label. The business has also operated licensed fashion categories, including BMW Lifestyle, Armani Collezioni, Armani Jeans and Versace collections. Ports 1961 underwent repeated creative and geographic changes. Tia Cibani relaunched the label in North America in 2004 and left the creative-director role in 2010, when Fiona Cibani took over. The label moved its headquarters and production units from New York to Milan in 2012, presented women’s collections in New York, Milan and later London, and maintained a Paris flagship in the Mandarin Oriental building on Rue Saint-Honoré. Its menswear line was discontinued at the end of 2017, while Ports V launched internationally in 2018. Fabien Baron and Karl Templer became creative directors of Ports 1961 in 2019. The women’s runway collection returned to Milan Fashion Week in 2020. The wider group has operated more than 300 stores, predominantly in China, alongside selected locations in Hong Kong, Macau and Europe.
History
Ports International began in Toronto in 1961 as Newport Canada, an importer of Japanese clothing. Its founder, Luke Tanabe, was a Vancouver-born Japanese Canadian designer whose parents had immigrated to Canada. Under Tanabe’s direction, the business evolved into a women’s fashion company and adopted the Ports International name in 1966. During the 1970s it expanded across North America and internationally, establishing a Manhattan flagship in 1970 and later locations in Boston, Palo Alto and London. Its Bond Street flagship opened in 1978, followed by boutiques in Cambridge and Bath. The design organization broadened in the 1980s. Tanabe’s daughters Christine and Miki joined in 1980, and Dean and Dan Caten worked as co-designers in 1988. Tanabe also founded Tabi International in 1980 as a lower-priced women’s clothing chain. In 1989 he retired and sold Ports and Tabi to Etac Sales Ltd., a Toronto company founded by Alfred K. T. Chan and Edward Tan. The new owners brought additional Chinese Canadian business connections and began shifting the company toward Asian growth. Etac Sales filed for bankruptcy in 1994. Following the bankruptcy, Alfred Chan reacquired an apparel factory in Xiamen, test stores in Shanghai and Xiamen, Asian and Australian rights to Ports, and the Tabi name. He and Edward Tan decided to sell or close most Ports retail operations in the United States and United Kingdom and focus on China. A Chinese mono-brand store opened in 1993, and the group subsequently built a large mainland network. Ports’ China positioning relied on the perception of an international Western luxury label while keeping prices below many European and American designer brands. Ports Design Ltd. was established in Xiamen in 1994 by Alfred Chan and Fiona Cibani. Cibani had joined the design department in 1989 and later became creative director and Chan’s wife; her sister Tia Cibani also became an important designer. Ports Design listed in Hong Kong in 2003 under code 0589.HK and was renamed Portico International Holdings Ltd. in 2015. In May 2018, Bluestone Global Holdings acquired the listed company, leading to privatization and delisting. The wider PCD Group has operated more than 300 stores, mainly in more than 50 Chinese cities, with additional activity in Hong Kong, Macau and selected international fashion capitals. Ports has used several labels to address different markets and price or style segments. The core Ports line covers women’s wear, men’s wear and accessories in China and Asia. Ports 1961 was relaunched in New York in 2004 under Tia Cibani and developed as a globally distributed womenswear runway label. Fiona Cibani became its creative director in 2010. The brand added menswear in 2011, moved its headquarters and production units to Milan in 2012, and later staged womenswear shows in Milan and London. Ian Hylton left in 2014, Milan Vukmirovic took charge of menswear, and Natasa Cagalj became womenswear creative director. Ports 1961 operated stores or points of sale in Canada, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and mainland China during this period. The label’s menswear division was discontinued at the end of 2017. A new unisex line, Ports V, launched in 2018 under Vukmirovic’s direction. Fabien Baron and Karl Templer became creative directors of Ports 1961 in 2019, replacing Cagalj and moving the aesthetic toward more youthful, colorful and gender-fluid collections. Ports returned to Milan Fashion Week in early 2020. That year it also signed a ten-year eyewear agreement with Safilo for China. The Paris Ports 1961 store in the Mandarin Oriental building on Rue Saint-Honoré has been identified as the label’s remaining international location, alongside stores in cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Hong Kong.
- 2020
Safilo eyewear agreement is signed
[1]Ports signs a ten-year agreement with Safilo for eyewear distribution in China.
- 2018
Ports V launches and the listed company is privatized
[1]Ports introduces Ports V and Portico International Holdings is acquired and delisted.
- 2015
Ports Design is renamed Portico International Holdings
[1]The listed corporate entity adopts the Portico International Holdings name.
- 2012
Ports 1961 moves to Milan
[1]The label transfers its headquarters and production units from New York to Milan.
- 2004
Ports 1961 is relaunched
[1]The group relaunches Ports 1961 in North America as an internationally oriented womenswear label.
- 2003
Ports Design lists in Hong Kong
[1]The operating company becomes publicly traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under code 0589.HK.
- 1994
Ports Design Ltd. is established
[1]Alfred Chan and Fiona Cibani establish Ports Design in Xiamen.
- 1993
First Chinese mono-brand store opens
[1]Ports opens its first mono-brand store in China as it begins its Asian retail expansion.
- 1989
Ownership passes to Etac Sales
[1]Tanabe retires and sells Ports and Tabi to Alfred Chan and Edward Tan’s company.
- 1980
Tabi International is created
[1]Tanabe establishes a more affordable women’s clothing chain under the Tabi name.
Products and positioning
International luxury and contemporary fashion with strong Chinese and Asian retail distribution, combining Western brand imagery, European design operations and China-based manufacturing and merchandising.
Luxury ready-to-wear and accessories · 1966
Ports
The core Ports label serves Chinese and Asian markets with women’s ready-to-wear, men’s clothing and accessories. Its commercial identity is built around international luxury styling, a broad retail network and pricing positioned below many European and American designer brands. The line is closely associated with the group’s China-based production and merchandising infrastructure.
International luxury runway womenswear · 2004
Ports 1961
Ports 1961 is the group’s internationally focused runway label. Relaunched in 2004 under Tia Cibani, it developed a modern womenswear proposition and later added menswear in 2011. The label presented collections in New York, Milan and London, moved its operating base to Milan, and subsequently adopted a younger, more colorful and partially unisex design direction. Menswear was discontinued at the end of 2017.
Contemporary womenswear · 2015
Ports Pure
Ports Pure is a colorful line aimed at younger women in China. It extends the Ports house into a more youthful contemporary segment and has been sold through Chinese stores.
Unisex contemporary fashion · 2018
Ports V
Ports V was introduced as a progressive unisex line with international ambitions and a streetwear-influenced sensibility. In China it has also been marketed toward younger men. The line was launched under Milan Vukmirovic’s direction and represented a shift away from the more formal minimalist image associated with earlier Ports 1961 collections.
Eyewear · 2020
Ports eyewear
Ports expanded its accessories platform through a ten-year agreement with Italian eyewear manufacturer Safilo Group in 2020. The agreement covered the Chinese market and extended the brand into licensed or partner-produced eyewear.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Every Color Matters / Only Love Matters runway messaging
Italy · International fashion media
During the spring 2018 menswear presentation in Milan, Ports 1961 used slogans including “Every Color Matters” and “Only Love Matters,” framed as adaptations of Black Lives Matter-related language.
Outcome. The presentation received criticism for appropriating and diluting Black Lives Matter messaging. The episode became the principal public controversy associated with the label in the cited reference material.
- 2016Ports 1961 and Everlast menswear collaboration
International
For its spring 2016 men’s collection, Ports 1961 partnered with boxing and sportswear brand Everlast.
Outcome. The collaboration connected Ports 1961’s fashion presentation with a recognizable athletic and boxing identity.
- International luxury model advertising
China · Asia
Ports used internationally recognized fashion models, including Claudia Schiffer and Kate Moss, to reinforce the perception of the brand as a Western-oriented luxury fashion label in China.
Outcome. The approach supported the brand’s premium image while allowing it to retail below many European and American designer brands.
Brand decisions
2020
Safilo eyewear partnershipOtherBackground
Ports sought to extend its brand into accessories and strengthen its presence in the Chinese market.
Action taken
The company signed a ten-year agreement with Safilo Group for eyewear in China.
Aftermath
The agreement added an established Italian eyewear partner to Ports’ accessories business.
2018
Privatization and delistingM&ABackground
Portico International Holdings, formerly Ports Design Ltd., had traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since 2003.
Action taken
Bluestone Global Holdings acquired the company from its shareholder base, taking it private.
Aftermath
The company ceased to be publicly listed, while the wider Ports and PCD retail operations continued privately.
2011
Expansion into Ports 1961 menswearProduct launchBackground
Ports 1961 had primarily been associated with womenswear and sought to broaden its international fashion proposition.
Action taken
The label introduced a fashion-forward menswear collection developed by Fiona Cibani and Ian Hylton.
Aftermath
The menswear division operated for several seasons, was later led creatively by Milan Vukmirovic, and was discontinued at the end of 2017.
2004
Relaunch of Ports 1961Product launchBackground
The group sought to restore a stronger international runway and designer identity for the Ports name.
Action taken
Ports 1961 was relaunched in New York under Tia Cibani with a modern minimalist womenswear focus.
Aftermath
The label established a separate international design and presentation platform before later moving its operations to Milan.
1994
Refocus on China and Asia after bankruptcy proceedingsStrategyBackground
Etac Sales’ bankruptcy disrupted the previous North American and European operating structure, while Alfred Chan reacquired selected Ports assets and Asian brand rights.
Action taken
The owners sold or closed most United States and United Kingdom retail operations and concentrated investment on China, including Xiamen production and mainland stores.
Aftermath
Ports developed into a large China-focused fashion and retail business with international design and flagship activities.
Asset and brand-rights reacquisition price. CAD 6 million (1994)
Sources1 sources
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