Tommy Hilfiger celebrated Fashion's Night Out with Joss Stone and other artists at Macy’s and his flagship Fifth Avenue store. We caught up with the king of prep and found out all about his Spring collection, the key to nailing the preppy-cool look, and how music continues to inspire fashion.
>> Tommy Hilfiger is said to be among those planning to privately invest in Michael Kors, WWD reports. Kors is reportedly seeking as much as $500 million to fund its global expansion plans, and hired Morgan Stanley to sell an equity stake of approximately 25 percent. The round of financing has since closed and is expected to be finalized next month.
Hilfiger, who put money into Belstaff earlier this month, declined to comment on whether he would invest in Kors, too, but did say: “Anybody would be crazy not to invest in it. Michael Kors is the next major global player in my eyes.”
If Hilfiger were to participate in this new round of funding for Kors, he would be joining his previous investment partners Joel Horowitz, Silas Chou, and Lawrence Stroll, all of whom were the original investors in Tommy Hilfiger (The latter two, Chou and Stroll, bought Michael Kors in 2003 for a reported $100 million.). “For over 20 years, we’ve invested in things together," Hilfiger noted. "If they ask me, of course I’ll invest [in Kors]."
Kors, which generates about $900 million in volume, is expected to do private placement funding followed by an initial public offering right away; some are estimating the company could be valued at over $2 billion. This strategy is notable because there hasn't been an American designer IPO in some time — Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren did theirs in the late '90s. More recently, brands have typically been bought up by larger players or conglomerates.
Malin Akerman looked like a Grecian goddess at the celebration of Prep World by Tommy Hilfiger and Lisa Birnbach in Los Angeles. Her deep plunging Tommy Hilfiger dress, cognac belt, and matching Tommy Hilfiger lace-up booties were perfect for an LA Summer evening. Malin added bling with an embellished clutch and wide gold cuff. Unfortunately her dress isn't available online, but shop now for similar items to steal this beautiful and breezy look.
In the middle of Manhattan's Meatpacking District, Tommy Hilfiger launched his 60-piece Prep World capsule collection inside a Cape Cod-inspired beach house that had been specially built solely to serve as the Prep World pop-up shop. We caught up with the designer inside the beach house and got his tips for crisp Summer style, and learned about his not so preppy past.
FabSugar: I love your outfit. Were you always this classic, preppy guy?
Tommy Hilfiger: Well, no. I went through a hippie stage in the '70s: I had long hair and wore bell-bottoms. In the late '70s or early '80s, I went back to preppy because I was sick of the hippie stuff. I cut my hair short, and that's when I designed this line of cool, preppy clothes.
FS: Were you inspired by style icons at the time?
TH: James Dean, Robert Redford, you know, American Hollywood. And then there were the Kennedys. They've always been an inspiration.
FS: What are five basic Summer essentials every woman needs in her cool, preppy closet?
TH: A nautical stripe, navy-and-white long sleeve tee, colored chinos, madras shorts, a man-tailored navy blazer, and a ribbon belt. With some cool docksiders or flip-flops.
FS: What's your favorite piece from the Prep World collection?
TH: I love the men's tuxedo jacket.
FS: The pop-up house is only spending a few days in each city. Why such a short time?
TH: We picked the choicest locations in each city — LA, Paris, London, Madrid, Milan — and so there are limits to how much time we can spend there. Plus, it keeps it exciting. If it's in one place too long, people get tired of it.
FS: If you could put this beach house anywhere for one Summer, where it would be?
TH: Nantucket, on the beach.
Miranda Kerr and Jessica Stam channeled a bit of the White Swan aesthetic at last night's Met Gala. Miranda went for frothy white in Marchesa, while Jessica kept it a tad more subtle in a blush-colored Tommy Hilfiger dress. Both look appropriate for a pair of ballet slippers, and both deserve standing ovations, but which ballet-inspired look is your favorite?
Renée Zellweger stepped out in Milan today at the launch of Tommy Hilfiger's new, limited-edition handbag, which was designed to support Breast Health International. It was the actress's first public event since her split from Bradley Cooper was announced, and she looked chic in a red trenchcoat worn over a green dress as she arrived. Later, the Carolina Herrera spokesmodel changed into a strapless, purple number for a press conference to spotlight the new purse. Renée made her way to Italy for today's event after spending time among some famous friends as a guest at Reese Witherspoon's wedding less than two weeks ago.
We're fans of preppy style, particularly when it's mixed with edgier pieces. OnSugar blogger sbeulah gives us the lowdown on the best of Spring prep in her blog Eclectic Jewelry and Fashion.
Just between us, I'm actually embracing many of the "classic preppy" looks that we're seeing so much of in the current magazine issues. How can we miss the pages of Tommy Hilfiger's latest offerings colorfully displayed through out each spring issue. While I have always kept and worn classics such as blazers (a couple of navy Ralph Laurens), loafers, pearls etc., for some reason, I think that I'm ready to hang up my skinny jeans for a while.
I bought trouser jeans last fall and have been wearing them a great deal, as they are the perfect addition to a pair of platforms. I also like the idea of tucking in a shirt or blouse for a change. I picked up a couple of anoraks this weekend....not the usual staid, "I'm going hiking-look," but a little more "cutesy." They look great over a maxi dress on cooler days. I'm almost embarrassed to say that I looked at shoes similar to those from Sperry....while the style is the same, the pair that I'm thinking about are metallic gold...while I like classic, I don't necessarily want to look as though I'm going yachting. I think the key is "mixing."
So, as the warm weather approaches, I'll head to the back of my closet and dig out some of the classics that haven't been worn in quite some time.
For the rest, visit Eclectic Jewelry and Fashion.
First, there was Hailee Steinfeld looking fresh and crisp in a Tommy Hilfiger short-sleeve silk crepe pleated dress; then Natalie Portman showed up to a Vanity Fair party in a babydoll dress from H&M's new Conscious Collection with gorgeous floral lace applique. With Spring shopping season about to commence, we're looking for a perfect hybrid of the two: white, a little bit fitted but still a little flowy, crisp, but with feminine details. After combing the market, we came up with not one but 12 perfect dresses. Our favorite is the Temperley dress with ornate lace. Happy shopping!
One of the easiest styles to achieve that off-duty look this fall is with an amazing poncho! From cropped chunky knit versions at Tommy Hilfiger to texturally intriguing knit and satin iterations at Alexander Wang, this outerwear option has us longing for cold weather. To get the full scoop on this dramatic silhouette, watch our full poncho trend report now.
