Over the course of his long career there have been many pieces that have come to define the preppy, American aesthetic of the Tommy Hilfiger brand. For the fall mainline collection, the designer and his team reissued a variety of these Tommy staples, updated through modern fabrics, finishes and proportions.
“We met in the archives and talked about how we can take Tommy icons like the varsity jacket, the classic blazer with gold buttons, nautical-inspired wool coats, the Perfecto jacket, and modernize them in fabrication and fit,” said Lee Holman, Tommy Hilfiger’s chief design officer, during a walkthrough at the company’s New York showroom.
In the men’s collection, Ivy League staples were reworked as waffle-knit rugbies, varsity jackets appeared in rich fall colors, barn jackets were offered in padded nylon, parkas were available with Gore-Tex technology, and tailored jackets were updated with utilitarian pockets.
The women’s collection was modernized through proportion and detailing with cropped trenches, blazers with gold buttons, and pleated skirts offered in heritage checks. Pops of color came through in cable-knits and shirts, suits were offered in tweeds and velvet, and faux fur and shearling brought a winter feel to the collection.
A women’s look from the Tommy Hilfiger fall collection.
Courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger
“One of the things we’re seeing from a trend perspective is faux fur as a trim,” Holman said, pointing to a classic wool women’s coat with a removable fur collar as an example.
Among the key pieces in the fall offering were a silk women’s dress made from a men’s foulard tie pattern from the 1990s, updated Fair Isle cardigans, white corduroy pants with double pleats, a classic flight jacket in black tumbled leather and a duffel coat with toggle closures. Penny loafers were updated in a two-tone leather with a Tommy penny inset — good thing since the U.S. penny is being discontinued — glen check coats were long and flowy, and chore coats were given more of an “outdoor inspiration,” Holman said, with their utilitarian pockets.
Several pieces in the collection featured special labels offering details about their history and materials such as the “Prep Blazer” in navy blazer with gold buttons that also gave a shoutout to Lardini, which produced the piece. And Hilfiger’s signature Ithaca stripe was used on everything from sleeve linings to collar detailing.
All told, the mainline collection hit all the trends of the season by turning its gaze to the past, a successful juggling act the Tommy consumer will undoubtedly embrace come fall.
