Tommy Hilfiger: Showing in the Rain NYFW

Tommy Hilfiger is fascinated by the metaverse. He’s constantly looking for new ways to participate, most recently livestreaming his Sunday-night show via Roblox. In the metaverse, all is possible, and users have complete control of their worlds (at least until the robots take over for real). In the sometimes more problematic real world, some things can’t be controlled. Rain, for example. So it was at Hilfiger’s TommyNow show, held outside at the Skyline Drive-In in Brooklyn. The rain proved an aggressive party-crasher, wreaking a bit of havoc on the venue intended to recall Andy Warhol’s Factory Andy Warhol’s (hence the aluminum-foil wrapped runway and chairs).

The downpour elicited some eye rolls and quips: “Was this the extent of Plan B?” mused FIT president Joyce Brown, tugging at her handout poncho made of flimsy drycleaner plastic. (She was one of the lucky ones; there weren’t enough ponchos to go around.) But it was all good natured, as a host of celebrities across the performer-model-influencer spectrum – assorted Kardashian-Jenners, John Legend, Kate Moss, Trippie Redd, Kodak Black, Shawn Mendes, Noah Beck, Jasmine Sanders, Holly Robinson Peete – took seemingly good spirits to their wet benches and foil-covered chairs.

They were treated to a strong show, including both the primary signature line and the Richard Quinn collaboration that had already gotten ample press play. The latter features a feisty graphic checkerboard of alternating flowers with the TH logo.

As for the main line, apparel doesn’t get much more signature than Tommy Hilfiger. The Zendaya collaboration of a few years ago aside, Hilfiger has in recent years made his runway as much about the show experience as the clothes which, though typically appealing, were not always always distinctive from on e season to the next. Not so this time. This felt very fresh and very fashion as Hilfiger revisited his preppie origins, giving them a major jolt forward with shots of Nineties, Seventies and street – and even a dollop of naughty. Prepster with a whip, anyone?

A major direction: volume, volume and more volume. Hilfiger supersized many of his classics, starting with the men’s polo that opened the show. He cut it super wide and long – well past the knees. This introduced a lineup packed with oversized parkas, polos, jackets and coats – often shown with giant bags and backpacks. Lesser proportions came in pilings --- jackets upon sweaters upon shirts, pants and skirts, and often, a giant muffler. And there were multiple patterns – stripes, checks, flowers, logos, and plaids that can swing from punk to geek, depending upon the who and the how.