Now Open: Ports 1961 on Melrose Place Opens With Celeb Bash

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

Canadian-based Ports 1961 opened with a cocktail party Wednesday night at its Melrose Place boutique. It was difficult to maneuver because the place was packed with fashion types, editorial types, celebs—Debra Messing, Joy Bryant, Leelee Sobieski, Debi Mazar, Kelly Preston, Estella Warren—and other types that get invited to this kind of stuff. In terms of the boutique, our construction photos probably give a better sense of the space, but the boutique does complement the collection, which is full of texture and captures a global indigenous inspiration. We particularly liked the sculptural wooden clutches and handbags. Ports 1961 Creative Director Tia Cibani told Racked that they'd hoped to have opened the NYC and LA boutiques simultaneously, but due to landmark and construction issues in NYC, the East Coast won't get its Ports until sometime before the end of 2008.
· Ports 1961 Melrose Place Boutique First Look! [Racked]