"Stand clear of the closing doors": the booming voice of the subway announcer gives an underground touch to Tommy Hilfiger's return to New York.
We are at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Terminal, the historic underground venue where oysters, champagne and martinis entertain commuters waiting for trains.
The new autumn-winter 2024 collection is a love letter to the city: a lifetime of memories in a perfect "New York Moment".
While the speakers blast the soundtrack by Oscar winner Questlove on a journey through the five boroughs, the parade inspired by the home of Classic American Cool begins, of which Tommy channels the reinterpreted style with a personal touch.
It is the spirit of preppy, the clean elegance of college kids that has inspired the brand since its foundation in 1985 and is now revisited in an inclusive and multicultural key: "New York taught me to dream big", declared Tommy who on the placemats with which he set each place at the table he had drawn a map of Midtown with also his first apartment south of Studio 54: "As a young designer this city was the cradle of my vision. Its pulsating energy, its culture rooted in trust and transparency have fueled the brand since the beginning."
The fashion show sends a message: after having concentrated on international growth - the main markets include Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain, Turkey, Greece and various Scandinavian countries rather than the United States - now the brand, which entered the group listed on Wall Street Pvh, come home.
"Tommy is one of America's great dreamers. His vision and his impact on the fashion industry paved the way for many", Council of Fashion Designers of America CEO Steven Kolb welcomed the designer's return.
Continuing with the tradition of including sporty details in the collections, Tommy offers a new point of view on sportswear for next autumn-winter.
'90s classics like the rugby, blazer, chinos and varsity jacket are enriched with corduroy, herringbone and pinstripe textures.
Oversized women's coats in camel wool, amplified checks and tweed are worn over cashmere sweaters and minidresses or full below-the-knee pleated skirts.
The silhouette is inspired by the codes of preppy style, playing with wider trouser legs, relaxed buttoning and boxy outerwear in the shades of the brand's iconic DNA: red, white, midnight blue.
On the feet are white sneakers, riding boots or classic "penny loafer" moccasins worn with semi-transparent black socks.
Surprise grand finale with the musical guest, Jon Batiste, former Late Night bandleader and protagonist of the documentary American Symphony whose song Freedom was applauded by a global audience including, in addition to Sylvester Stallone, members of the international 'family' by Hilfiger: the new face of womenswear Sofia Richie Grainge, Damson Idris, the Indian Sonam Kapoor, the South Korean Junho Lee and the Australian Nicole Warne who brought the garments from the new See Now Buy Now collection to the front row.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA