February 10, 2024 |
For a show called A New York Moment, what could be more quintessentially New York than the always bustling Grand Central Station? The transportation hub became a whirlwind of activity as spectators lined the halls leading up to the Oyster Bar, all in hopes of catching a glimpse of the celebrities entering the Tommy Hilfiger autumn/winter 2024 show. With the likes of brand ambassadors Sofia Richie Grainge and Damson Idris as well as GloRilla, Central Cee, Justine Skye and others, you couldn’t blame the fans for turning out in droves.
Inside the restaurant, the scene was relatively calm as guests made their way to their seats, transforming the booths into a makeshift front row only show. As waiters passed around martinis and Old Fashioned cocktails, Questlove kicked off the show by spinning a playlist that heavily featured ’90s and early ’00s hip hop. One noticeable change this season – it’s no longer see now, buy now. Instead, the collection presented is for fall, while current, shoppable pieces were worn by front row attendees.
As for the next autumns’ clothes, it’s classic prep as filtered through Hilfiger’s lens. Striped polos, camel blazers and loose trousers played heavy into the mix as did tweed jackets worn with matching skirts. Also present was plenty of corduroy, chinos and classic wool outerwear. Perhaps it’s the fact that we were in Grand Central, but the models felt almost as if they were Yale coeds, plucked straight off the Metro North to New Haven to walk the runway. If the students in Take Ivy met Love Story took a detour through the nineties before settling in 2024 by way of New York City, they’d be dressed in Tommy Hilfiger.
To end the night, there was one more surprise during the finale walk: A performance by Jon Batiste, who performed his Grammy Award-winning song ‘Freedom’. It takes a lot to get a fashion crowd on their feet, but when you combine Hilfiger and Batiste, the entire room stood up to cheer (and grab the requisite social-media friendly video).
Photography courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger.
