It’s easy to trust menswear connoisseur Tommy Hilfiger when he says that Americana appeal goes beyond U.S borders. TikTok has birthed many ‘cores — some gone in the blink of an algorithm — but one mainstay is preppy.
The designer’s Euro Summer trip — which has already taken him to Saint-Tropez, Monaco, Sardinia and Capri — was rounded off at Pitti Uomo, with an off-fair presentation of his brand’s new “New York” collection.
“The ‘New York’ line is a modern twist on our heritage icons and the classic prep wardrobe,” Hilfiger told WWD in a preview.
Taking over the lobby of Palazzo Portinari Salviati, a Renaissance city landmark now turned into a luxury hotel, Hilfiger sought to recreate a New York members’ club — a fitting choice as Italy brims with similar spots catering to the wealthy pack relocating in the country.
Pulling in all his signature preppy codes — the navy blazer, chinos, repp tie and trenchcoat — Hilfiger managed to grasp the zeitgeist, turning them into an elevated dressy casual offering rooted in tailored classics with an American flair.
They looked young and fresh, surely catering to Gen Zers experimenting with their very first grown-up looks.
“I’m obsessed with menswear, of course, and now that menswear is becoming more sartorial and a bit more dressed up, it’s even more fun,” Hilfiger said at Tuesday’s presentation.
“And I love the fact that young men are beginning to care about dressing, wearing jackets and suits,” he added, pointing to young guests in full suits.
Don’t expect a sturdy car coat to come in plain beige; windowpane patterns made an interesting counterpoint to the navy blazer — in the Air-dot performance fabric — with a tie and white chino pants worn underneath. The dressy Oxford shirt in sky-blue stripes had one too many buttons unfastened, conveying a relaxed party attitude when layered under a double-breasted, slightly elongated blazer. A pinstriped chalk gray suit worn with an open work knit polo shirt and red baseball hat swaggered with Italian Riviera cool.
Pieces in the menswear-only offering come with a dedicated lion penny crest created when the brand launched in 1985 and used for the Tailoring line for the first time in 1993.
As music boomed from the speakers and models played chess and card games while sipping Aperol Spritz, friends of the house including Lucien Laviscount, the face of Tommy Hilfiger watches, made their way to the bar counter and mingled with the crowd.