Tommy Hilfiger: Cool Hand Tommy
By Godfrey Deeny
Photos by: Visko Hatfield
More Photos: 1 | 2 |3 |4 |5
NEW YORK, Oct 20, 2002/ FWD/ --- Tommy Hilfiger had a great vacation this summer,
judging from the cool, clean collection he showed last Sept 18, its upbeat mood inspired
by Mustique, where he has a palatial pad.
The spring-summer 2003 collection he presented was Tommy doing what he does best -
easy-to-wear, comfortably sexy, deceptively simple clothes for a consumer who wants to
look alluring, yet not agonize over how she or he achieves the desired effect.
"I managed to spend a lot of time this summer down in Mustique. It's a family atmosphere,
very relaxed and loose, and I hoped that mood showed on the catwalk," Hilfiger told FWD
backstage after the show in Bryant Park.
Though the New York Post predicted Lauren Bush would make her only fashion season catwalk
appearance, the prez's niece was a no-show, not so Naomi Campbell.
The author/chanteuse/model/celebrity was meant to be in town to promote her latest career -
launching her own marketing company NC. Connect.
No word yet if Tommy's about to become a client.
A buoyant mood was evident from the get-go as Tommy sent out neatly paneled corsets,
silky cargo pants with pockets at the knee and flirty pierced cotton skirts.
The summer atmosphere made one long for the summer vacation, a feeling enhanced by the
freezing air conditioning main-pavilion tent.
As Led Zeppelin blared out of the speakers, a platoon of models went on excursion in a series
of military looks - soldierly Oxford cloth shirts, belted canvas jackets and cropped
parachute pants.
"Military yes, but soft and also sexy," explained Hilfiger.
Many of his best looks came in leather, where tan suede slip dresses or micro minis with
cute saddle stitching were standouts.
Other hits were lace-up corsets and for the gals and Italianate diagonally striped shirts
for guys.
Few things better underlined the current reaction against logos than this show.
Hilfiger, whose flag-like logo was ubiquitous just a few seasons back, was virtually
banished from the runway appearing only on the heels of topsiders or peeping out on the
top of underwear.
And unlike quite a few designers who lift and sample from others at will, Hilfiger was
honorable enough to clearly state that some shorts and sarongs in the show were inspired
by his old pal Lotti B., based in Mustique.
Now, Tommy, when does your next plane leave Teterboro for a long Caribbean weekend?
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