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Kelly Rissman
US News Reporter
Tommy Hilfiger presented his spring/summer 2025 collection on the unusual location of a decommissioned Staten Island ferry.
For his latest New York Fashion Week show, the American designer paid homage to the nautical lifestyle that has inspired the brand for almost 40 years, taking guests to the John F. Kennedy boat, which served as a Staten Island Ferry until it was decommissioned in 2021.
It was bought the following year by investors including comedians Pete Davidson and Colin Jost, who both grew up in the New York City borough.
Hilfiger’s love letter to the East coast of America didn’t stop at the venue: the Empire State Building was lit up in the label’s signature colours and the show’s invitation was a Tommy-fied version of a brass Staten Island Ferry token – a now long-gone remnant of New York history, since ferry riding became free in 1997.
The New York-born designer unveiled his second collection since moving back on the NYFW schedule with a further refined luxury aesthetic. The pieces were classically Tommy: navy captain’s blazers and trench coats, cricket sweaters and cable-knit V-necks, along with pleated prim dresses and capri pants.
The nautical theme ran throughout, with anchor motifs and Breton stripes aplenty.
“It’s the New American Prep wardrobe, fusing vibrant Ivy League style with everyday coastal functionality,” the label said in a statement.
Hilfiger said he wanted to “live within our brand codes: Stripes, red, white, and blue, nautical and collegiate preppy”.
The signature looks were energised by modern silhouettes, crinkled cotton and fabrics that encompassed the fluidity of sportswear.
“Today, it’s updated and remixed for 2025,” said Hilfiger. “The look has the ease of effortless summer style, but with a confidence that feels ready to step off the ferry and back into the city.”
The collection had the classic Breton and Ithaca shirting stripes inspired by sailing heritage, archival regatta jackets and utility trousers crafted from sail-cloth nylons.
Celebrities sitting front row included Gen V actor Patrick Schwarzenegger, 30, who recently became the face of the brand, embodying the brand’s quintessentially preppy aesthetic in a herringbone tweed suit jacket and nautical-striped shirt.
Schwarzenegger was accompanied by Blackpink’s Jisoo, 29, who took note from Hilfiger’s hip-hop influence of the Nineties in a leather baseball jacket and beanie.
Others in attendance included actor Brooke Shields, who watched her daughter, Grier, on her first fashion week runway.
“I got very emotional,” Shields said. “It was her first show and this is something she wanted to do. And I said, ‘You’ve got to go to college, but it’s a Sunday, so it’s OK.’”
Sports stars were out in force – including Olympic gold medal-winning sprinter Gabby Thomas, who wore a herringbone double-breasted blazer over a white mini dress, and gymnast Sunisa Lee in a classic belted trench coat.
Model Romee Strijd, TikTok content creator Noah Beck and singer Tinashe were also all front row, and enjoyed a surprise performance from three members of Staten Island’s Wu-Tang Clan.
Tommy Hilfiger demonstrated that the brand is as much part of the city’s iconography as the ship that hosted it. A true American classic.
