Tommy Hilfiger drives fresh interest with motor racing in Milan

Rather than stay in his old stomping ground of New York, Tommy Hilfiger is taking his shows on a world tour and this weekend his American fashion house landed in Milan.

Having adopted the see-now, buy-now model in 2016 that sees the clothes from the catwalk available to purchase immediately – compared with the traditional six-month wait – Hilfiger now wants to spread global hype by appealing to social media-savvy millennials. “The consumer wants immediate gratification and unique experiences that they can’t find anywhere else,” Hilfiger said at a preview of his brand’s new collection.

Cue Sunday evening’s show, a motor racing-themed extravaganza featuring pit-lane shops selling the collection to the public – who are also invited to Hilfiger’s runway-to-retail shows – surrounded by a catwalk that took the shape of a race track. Tommy Hilfiger has reignited its links with the sport by sponsoring the Formula One Mercedes Benz team for the 2018 season, which means returning world champion Lewis Hamilton, who was sat in the front row, wearing high fashion at high speeds when he takes to the track come March. The aesthetic dominated the womenswear and menswear on show here.

Curved racing stripes, reminiscent of the new F1 logo, were a theme throughout, while swimsuits, biker shorts, racer-back tanks and visors were covered with the chequered flag.

Source: theguardian