London Fashion Week: Tommy Hilfiger and Lewis Hamilton show unlike anything else

Tommy Hilfiger brought his mega fashion extravaganza TommyNow to the bowels of London’s Tate Modern on Sunday night after seven seasons travelling the world. Rain and wind did not deter more than one thousand guests making their way to the subterranean depths of the museum’s The Tanks arriving into clouds of dry ice that left guests like Billy Porter, Miss Fame, Meghan Trainor, Pixie Lott and Amber Le Bon looking spectral in the front row.

The see now buy now runway experience with looks immediately on sale across various shoppable channels in more than 70 countries was the fourth collaboration between Hilfiger and the famed Formula 1 racing driver Lewis Hamilton. It also included some statement pieces by Grammy award-winning Californian singer and songwriter H.E.R (aka Gabi Wilson) and opened with Naomi Campbell in neon yellow sweats leading a cast of models that merged the old and new guard of the modelling world while a London based performance collective provided an all singing all dancing live backtrack.

Supermodel after supermodel strode along the catwalk, guests on folded wooden seats pinpointing stalwarts like Erin O Connor, Jodie Kidd, Yasmin Le Bon, Pixie Geldof, Jourdan Dunn, Karen Elson and Iris Palmer - almost ignoring the clothes - as newcomers Halima Aden, Winnie Harlow, Precious Lee and Lennon Gallagher (son of Liam) took to the boards. The casting included models with a huge diversity of backgrounds, sizes, ages, gender expressions and ethnicity. Vogue Williams enthused about that diversity and inclusiveness after the show.

So, what about the gear? As expected, it was streetwear at its most slick and accomplished with familiar items – slouchy low-slung trousers, beanies, boiler suits, sweatshirts and hoodies of every kind - shown alongside Tommy Hilfiger’s signature red, white and blue preppy American classics. A total of 75 per cent of styles were “sourced more sustainably” in keeping with current trends including the use of 100 per cent organic cotton, recycled materials, down alternatives and low impact denim washes.

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Hilfiger’s menswear heritage fused easily with Lewis Hamilton’s streetwear style, military greens and blues - camouflage colours - blending with neutral tones and pops of neon and reflective stripes. The H.E.R infusion consisted of quotes and graphics across 12 statement pieces and the whole fast-moving show was a mix of utility and prep, stars and stripes spicing up bags, t-shirts and scarves.

At the finale in a carefully orchestrated exit, Tommy and Lewis surrounded by the models ran and danced down the catwalk as the singers took their bow and shook their fists.  The whole razzmatazz experience, unlike anything else at London Fashion Week, was in some ways like an American presidential campaign rally – without the candidates, cheerleaders or slogans and afterwards guests crowded outside on the wet red carpet sheltering from the relentless rain to hail taxis home.