The Port Summer 07 Meet the Sunshine

Dedicated to the memory of Richard Bloom.

Abscond from paparazzi flashbulbs, prying eyes and persistent employers. The lush Sierra Madre Mountains of Acapulco Bay provide shade from the cares of the modern world.

Acapulco provides the ultimate summer hiding place. Discovered by the Mayans millennia ago and revisited by adventurous starlets and leading men of Hollywood’s golden age - it is now experiencing a new era of pleasure in its 21st Century incarnation. Acapulco’s invitation drifts across the tropical trade winds with a sultry tease. From the razor-edge animal instinct of the city’s famous cliff divers to the pulsing rhythms of twilight fiestas, it contains the primeval energy of a wild terrain never truly tamed. A place where the glamour of yesteryear’s elite still lingers and their inheritors create time to shine in its revelry and light.

Craig Port’s Meet the Sunshine presentation is inspired by the Latin heat of this eternal summer playground. The collection, like the city that inspires it, sparkles with an unpredictable passion and coiled energy, one moment languishing in the white-gold of the midday sun and the next, plunging into the fiesta-fuelled shadows.

In true Port style, Meet the Sunshine has a strong resort feel, fusing the atmosphere of the fifties wardrobe with an ultra-modern cruise collection approach. Craig’s recent visit to Mexico not only provided inspiration but also gave him time to source raw materials - from the electric colours of the indigenous crafts of the Mayans’ descendents to the hibiscus prints influenced by the natural beauty of the sub-tropics.

The botanic influence is an undercurrent to the collection, off-set by meticulously crafted monochrome suits that provide a more structured luxurious look. Fabrics are light with hints of hand-woven lace, jacquarded silk and delicate voil cotton prints which contrast with the more tailored elements for an at-ease but elegant look.

This collection will also be shown at a very special event, the Richard Bloom Benefit Show, on August 3rd in Cape Town. This event will launch the Richard Bloom Foundation which will provide support and funding for aspiring South African design talent.


“Weather-wise it's such a lovely day You just say the words and we'll beat the birds Down to Acapulco Bay It's perfect for a flying honeymoon, they say Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away” Frank Sinatra