GIF: Thom Browne, Donna Karan and Tommy Hilfiger s/s 2015 IMAXTREE
So entering the show, we were greeted by models on stilts. Ten feet tall, they were part of a six-part tableaux, set on a manicured lawn, featuring ‘strong individual girls in literature’. This was a tale of six sisters, each character described in detail by the sultry voiceover as models walked the freshly mowed lawn. One, in a tweed suit sprouting multi-coloured feathers all over was ‘understated, but not pretentiously so’. Ahem. Bonkers, certainly, but this is Thom Browne, no stranger to theatre, costume or drama. But it’s just too easy to write Browne off as a theatrical costumier, because seeing this, in New York, after so many beautifully tasteful, effortlessly wearable sport-street collections, felt liberating – at least, none of the above applied here. Not that there weren’t actual clothes that, given the right occasion and wearer, were both beautifully crafted and fabulous – charcoal pinstriped tailoring, fit and flare dresses intricately panelled with tweed, a woven-ribbon-tweed coat in ice-cream shades, a gleaming white patent-leather coat and a cricket-white ensemble in classic cable knit, trimmed with the designer’s signature red, white and blue stripes – were just some of the considerable highlights.
Image: Tommy Hilfiger, Thom Browne and Donna Karan s/s 2015 IMAXTREE
showed her mainline collection that took in India, Bali, Africa and Haiti and transplanted the burnt colours and graphic prints typical of those cultures in her beloved New York. She played on opposites, so cinch-waist generous-skirted cotton dresses came out alongside second-skin, split-to-thigh silk jersey. Like many designers in New York this spring/summer, she resurrected the bra top for evening, putting them with ball skirts or, the opposite again – long, body-con skirts that kicked out with fishtail ruffles. Many heads were accompanied by a very tall hats, courtesy of master milliner Stephen Jones – and taller even than the Westwood number permanently clamped to Pharrell’s head.
Guess which designer built a psychedelic flower-filled summer of love set, got two incredible drummers on stage pounding out the beat to iconic late 1960s rock, poured Kendall Jenner and Georgia May Jagger into skinny Sgt. Pepper military tailoring, selvedge denim and tattoo-print chiffon dresses – yep, you’ve got it – it was the show.
Today’s festival girls were the inspiration as well as Hilfiger’s long-time obsession with rock ’n’ roll icons and the result was – although predictably literal – really good. Even if the unutterably cool Glastonbury/Bestival chick that inspired them wouldn’t be seen dead in clothes made in her honour; she’d wear the vintage originals, not Hilfiger’s version of them. But strip back the rather brilliant show styling – like the guitars slung over backs – and stick them in an urban context, rather than some muddy field, and you’ve got yourself a lot of fun clothes.
