Tommy Hilfiger threw himself a welcome home party Friday night at Grand Central’s Oyster Bar with Questlove as his DJ and Jon Batiste serenading Anna Wintour on his melodica while a bevy of global celebrities looked on.
Quick Read
- Grand Celebration: Tommy Hilfiger hosted a welcome home party at Grand Central’s Oyster Bar for New York Fashion Week, featuring Questlove as DJ and Jon Batiste performing for Anna Wintour, with many global celebrities in attendance.
- Venue Transformation: The iconic Oyster Bar was turned into “The Tommy” club for the night, marking Hilfiger’s return to New York Fashion Week with a show titled “A New York Moment,” showcasing ’90s prep-inspired fashion.
- Celebrity Presence: The event attracted a diverse group of celebrities, including K-pop’s Nayeon, Indian actor Sonam Kapoor, and Hollywood’s Sylvester Stallone, among others.
- Fashion Showcase: Hilfiger’s collection emphasized classic, roomy pieces like rugby shirts, blazers, and varsity jackets, with a focus on materials like corduroy, herringbone, and cashmere.
- See Now, Buy Now: Hilfiger continued his approach of making runway pieces immediately available for purchase, dressing some famous guests in these shoppable items.
- Global Focus: Hilfiger discussed his brand’s strong presence in international markets such as Germany, France, and Italy, and his plans to reinvigorate his brand in the U.S. market.
- Personal Enjoyment: The designer expressed his own enjoyment of the event, mingling with guests and joining Questlove in the DJ booth, emphasizing a fresh approach to engaging U.S. consumers with more elevated and modern offerings.
- Brand Legacy: Since its inception in New York in 1985 and acquisition by PVH in 2010, the Tommy Hilfiger brand has grown significantly, with global retail sales reaching approximately $9.1 billion in 2022.
The Associated Press has the story:
Tommy Hilfiger takes over Oyster Bar in Grand Central for NY fashion show
Newslooks- NEW YORK (AP) —
Tommy Hilfiger threw himself a welcome home party Friday night at Grand Central’s Oyster Bar with Questlove as his DJ and Jon Batiste serenading Anna Wintour on his melodica while a bevy of global celebrities looked on.
Turning the iconic restaurant into “The Tommy” club for a night, Hilfiger called his New York Fashion Week show “A New York Moment,” rolling out roomy, ’90s prep classics for the bash. The last time he hit town for fashion week was in September 2022, when his crowd braved rain for his “Tommy Factory” show at a Brooklyn drive-in theater.
This time, happy and dry underground beneath the transportation hub’s vaulted ceilings, fans lined ramps for a glimpse of K-pop’s Nayeon, her countryman Junho Lee, Indian actor Sonam Kapoor and various other friends of the brand: Sofia Richie Grainge and Damson Idris among them. Sylvester Stallone popped in at the end.
As the crowd sipped cocktails in booths, Hilfiger stuck to what he knows on models walking through: rugby shirts, blazers, chinos and varsity jackets in corduroy and herringbone. There were tailored women’s coats in wool, checks and earth-toned tweeds, and chunky cable knits and mini-dress polos in cashmere.
Hilfiger put some of his famous guests in pieces that were shoppable as he continued to embrace a “see now, buy now” approach to fashion shows.
Who’s wearing his take on so-called affordable luxury?
During a preview Thursday at his Madison Avenue offices, Hilfiger ticked off his primary markets of today: Germany, France, Italy, England, Turkey, various parts of Scandinavia and Greece among them.
“That business is now bigger than the U.S. business,” he told The Associated Press. “We’re going to bring it back in the states now because we have really focused a lot on international growth. And this is a statement we’re making, that we’re coming home, and we’re taking it very seriously.”
And who had the most fun during his New York return? Hilfiger himself. He sipped a martini as he posed with Stallone and others for photos after his finale, when Batiste played along to his hit “Freedom” as he walked through the crowd. The designer even briefly joined Questlove in his booth.
On the runway, Hilfiger kept his logo messaging to a minimum as he attempts to “grasp,” as he called it, U.S. consumers once again.
“We have to do it in a different way. We have to give them more elevated product, more modern fabrics and fits, and avoid redundancy,” he said. “We’ve got a very big polo shirt business, chino pant business, Oxford shirt business. But the consumer wants more than just that. Those are his or her staples. We’re now going to bring some more excitement. And some more sophistication.”
Hilfiger started his eponymous brand in New York in 1985. PVH acquired it in 2010. Global retail sales of the brand’s wide range of products totaled about $9.1 billion in 2022.
