Tommy Hilfiger collaborates with Brooklyn-born designer Romeo Hunte on a new capsule collection.
Fashion is the ultimate vessel for creative self-expression and for showing the world who you really are,’ explains Tommy Hilfiger. ‘It’s about reinvention and identity. Fashion also has the power to bring people together.’ Thought the years, the American brand has collaborated with a myriad of celebrities to create capsule collections, including Gigi Hadid, Zendaya and Lewis Hamilton, but it is now the turn of Hilfiger’s mentee, Brooklyn-born designer Romeo Hunte.
Tommy Hilfiger was confident in Romeo Hunte, explaining, ‘Romeo really understands what our brand has always stood for, so I was confident that he would bring his unique style of reinvention to our most iconic styles, while keeping true to our classic American DNA.’
Hunte describes himself as a ‘hybridist’ who is ‘interested in rewriting the narrative between luxury and urban street style through my designs.’ Of the capsule collection, Hilfiger states that ‘the collaboration is truly about bringing together our two worlds – my signature Manhattan prep and Romeo’s Brooklyn streetstyle.’ Hunte even managed to add a personal, nostalgic element to the collection revealing that the puffer vest was inspired by the first TOMMY HILFIGER item that he owned.
The pair have worked closely with People’s Place Program, which Hilfiger explains is about ‘fostering a diverse and inclusive community and spotlighting BIPOC creative talent – both in front of and behind the camera.’ Hunte continues, ‘Being a Black designer in the luxury market is very tough, no matter how talented you are. This program has given me resources to tell my story through my collections, and get my vision out of my head and into the world. The team really empowers me creatively to do what I want to do and what I’m known for.’
We spoke to the designers below about their collaboration process, the importance of giving BIPOC a seat at the table and the importance of fashion and creativity.
Perfect: How did this collaboration come about?
Tommy Hilfiger: When I first came across Romeo’s work, I thought his upcycled streetstyle designs were so original. I want to play a part in nurturing his incredible talent so I have been mentoring and working with him for over five years. I was lucky to learn from incredible mentors throughout my career and I am passionate about paying that forward.
Romeo Hunte: We met through a great mutual friend of ours Carly-Ann Fergus. Tommy has been such a supportive mentor over the years. He saw my drive and started believing in me as a designer. He has been a mentor and a friend who also understands the industry. I discovered that both we, and our brands, have a lot in common because we are both inspired by culture and he is always evolving his brand in a way that I admire a lot. It is very surreal to be in such a close relationship with someone who is so generous with his knowledge.
Perfect: What do you admire most about one another?
TH: Romeo is one of those truly exceptional newcomers – someone you know is going to make an impact as soon as you see his work. He really knows who he is as a designer and always keeps true to his creative vision and what he wants his brand to stand for. He is passionate and driven and constantly coming up with innovative designs.
RH: Tommy inspires me because he’s never lost sight of his dream to build a global lifestyle brand. No matter how many times he got knocked down, he got back up and kept moving forward. As a designer, Tommy has always followed his intuition and believed in himself. From the very start he has used his platform to spotlight and share the values important to him. His brand has been around for decades, and he is still relevant and continues to be inclusive. To know how much he reinvents himself, inspires me as a designer. Tommy is also a great leader and has taught me a lot about leadership as well.
Perfect: Tell me about the People’s Place Program.
TH: Our People’s Place Program is about fostering a diverse and inclusive community and spotlighting BIPOC creative talent – both in front of and behind the camera. We’ve made a real shift towards a culture of greater listening, learning and engaging so that we can do a better job supporting underrepresented communities within our organization, and externally for long-term change. From the moment Romeo and I started to collaborate, it was important to us that we channeled these values, from the design process to choosing our talented cast and crew.
ROMEO: The People’s Place Program is a movement I believed in from the first time I heard about it. Being a Black designer in the luxury market is very tough, no matter how talented you are. This program has given me resources to tell my story through my collections, and get my vision out of my head and into the world. The team really empowers me creatively to do what I want to do and what I’m known for. They were a great partner through the pandemic and we kept each other inspired and excited to create in a very tough time. This is a celebration and movement I’m excited to be a part of.
Perfect: Why is it important to give BIPOC creatives a seat at the table?
TH: The fashion industry historically lacks diversity which means people feel excluded by who they see represented in fashion. This is unacceptable but we are starting to see change and over time, we have seen the positive impact that inclusivity can have. Bringing underrepresented groups into the spotlight breaks down barriers and preconceptions and creates the foundation for a more inclusive society. It’s about passing the mic to the next generation of BIPOC creatives and giving them a platform to shine.
RH: When I started, I really just wanted people to like my clothes and recognize my talent. The fashion industry is already tough but my experience as a Black designer is that your work is often overlooked, or your voice isn’t heard. Inclusion isn’t just about giving talent a seat at the table or representation, but also about amplifying voices and actively embracing everyone at all levels of the industry. It's very important to me that I continue to use this platform to inspire and guide the creative talent of the future to follow their own dreams.
Perfect: How did you achieve the combination of the Manhattan Prep and Brooklyn Street aesthetic for this collection?
TH: The collaboration is truly about bringing together our two worlds – my signature Manhattan prep and Romeo’s Brooklyn streetstyle. We approached the design challenge with an open mind so that we could embrace the best of both designers. Romeo really understands what our brand has always stood for, so I was confident that he would bring his unique style of reinvention to our most iconic styles, while keeping true to our classic American DNA.
RH: As a hybridist, I have always been interested in rewriting the narrative between luxury and urban street style through my designs. It was an exciting challenge co-creating a capsule that celebrates the creative intersection between Tommy’s established design legacy and my signature deconstruction techniques. We explored the TOMMY HILFIGER archives together to find the most iconic pieces, reinventing and reimagining them to create styles that walk the line between embracing the classic and the totally new. There are so many iconic TOMMY pieces, colors and silhouettes, and it was great to have access to them and to add my own interpretation.
Perfect: Tell me about the casting process of the campaign.
TH: It was important to us that we cast a diverse group of people, embodying the community narrative of the campaign and bringing to life the mission of the People’s Place Program. Our cast of models Ikram Abdi Omar, Aaliyah Hydes, Hidetatsu Takeuchi and Babacar N’Doye did a great job of channeling these values and helping bring them to our global fans. As a brand we also have a long history of collaborating with people who embody our values which we also reflect in our campaigns.
RH: We didn’t just want representation and inclusivity to stop with the cast – it was really important to us that the campaign was also made by BIPOC creatives. By challenging the status quo, we want to re-imagine and redefine the future by inspiring the next generation of creative talent to follow their dreams and aim for the top.
Perfect: What did you most enjoy about this collaboration?
TH: Romeo and I share a passion for detail so that was something we wanted to spotlight in our designs. We brought this to life in the capsule by co-creating pieces that showcase elevated craftsmanship, exceptional fabrics and bold elements.
RH: Designing the collection was such a creative process - deconstructing silhouettes, playing with proportions, and clashing fabrics. We wanted to push the creative boundaries to create styles that are both wearable while also making a bold style statement. I love deconstructing things and being able to do this with a brand like Tommy Hilfiger which was so iconic to my upbringing as a designer has been such a cool experience.
Perfect: Are there any key features in this collection that you are particularly proud of that you would like to highlight and discuss?
TH: New York City was a big inspiration to us both which you can see in some of the detailing we incorporated into the capsule. For example, our heritage Ithaca stripe is reimagined in the colors of the New York City subway in our preppy button-down shirt.
RH: It was really important to us that our capsule was open to everyone so we put a strong focus on non-gender specific outerwear. I also brought a bit of personal history to the collection – the puffer vest was inspired by the first TOMMY HILFIGER item I ever owned! I’m most proud of the accessories because being so detail oriented, I really focus on every element of telling a story through fashion, so being able to work on the accessories was really exciting.
Perfect: Why are fashion and creativity important?
TH: Fashion is the ultimate vessel for creative self-expression and for showing the world who you really are. It’s about reinvention and identity. Fashion also has the power to bring people together. This means brands have an incredible platform and opportunity to lead the way by example. As a brand, we’re on a mission to create fashion that welcomes all where everyone feels accepted, included and empowered to express their true selves.
RH: Fashion gives me the opportunity to express myself and impact the world through community. I love being able to break barriers through Romeo Hunte and create spaces for the next generation of Black creatives. Giving back is also important to me and it’s been great to be in the position to create opportunities for other creatives as well.
