It’s a Friday night in the Big Apple, and East 42nd Street is awash with noise. Not just the rhythmic hums of traffic that make up the city’s soundtrack but with legions of fans, media, and celebrity guests spilling out of blacked-out SUVs. Somehow, I also find myself in one. Something I’m starting to realise about this city is that you might take a thousand different turns, but it still manages to spit you out where you’re supposed to be. Tonight, that’s the Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station. Only, just for this special evening, it’s not The Oyster Bar but The Tommy, an intimate and raucous lounge hosting the brand’s oldest and newest celebrators for the unveiling of Tommy Hilfiger’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection.

After taking his collections abroad for some seasons past, the designer has returned to where it all began—the dream, that is. Not only did he craft a collection inspired by his reverence for the city and how it shaped and bolstered his visions, but in just a moment, a New York Moment, Hilfiger captured the essence of his almost 50-year love affair with his hometown. From his Andy Warhol Days to Aaliyah and Gigi Hadid, his remarkable life could tell a thousand stories, and so that’s what he did. Just like the melting pot of people who make up the rich tapestry of New York, it’s the many lives Hilfiger has lived that come through in the details.

Though he may have been inspired by the past, Hilfiger never stays static, consistently finding ways to reimagine the original blueprint to keep his finger on the pulse. With a festive return to his base, Hilfiger harkens back to the brand’s founding codes of Classic American Cool style, where sophistication is crafted through ease.

While all the essentials were there—preppy cable knits, shirting, chinos and dressed-up Varsity jackets—there was an undeniably fresh take on the traditional colour palette and Americana apparel we’ve come to expect from the house since its 1985 inception. 

Instead, we were presented with an unexpected push towards ‘quiet luxury’ through supple neutrals, an absence of graphic prints and logos, and a deviation from streetwear towards more refined staples. Talking about how this mood came to fruition, Hilfiger explained how his vision has once again shifted to best suit his customers’ demands. 

“Dressing up is back. We are moving away from streetwear into a more polished look,” he said in an interview. “It’s in the air—I can feel it.”

It’s easy for designers to get caught up in lofty concepts and the craft of it all, but one thing the PVH-owned brand has never been shy about is its business acumen. As the designer notes, his brand offers a unique opportunity for the masses, particularly as luxury prices are driven up during an already-tight cost of living crisis. “Everyone knows what luxury looks like now, and everyone wants it. But luxury is unreachable for most people,” he said. “If I can sell an affordable version of luxury, that’s a great position for our business.”

Runway talent included the likes of Australia’s Aleyna Fitzgerald, Paloma Elsesser and Scarlet Stallone, to name a few—a vibrant mix of newcomers on the scene and longtime friends of the brand. Infusing a more old-world elegance with elevated modern separates, Fall/Winter 2024 came together with an amalgam of attitudes. Uptown with a downtown spirit. Relaxed tailoring and seamless outerwear paired with oversized sweaters and sneakers. Party-ready mini dresses layered over striped button-ups and snakeskin prints. Boxy blazers were sitting atop flowing pleated skirts. Contrasts that shouldn’t work are redefined with the Tommy flair to harmonise, epitomising the ordered chaos that underpins the New York way of life—all in one glorious NYFW moment. 

But what is a New York moment without its surprises? Ours tonight was a joyous performance by  Jon Batiste and Questlove, who accompanied the closing walk-through with an infectious spirit that brought the guests—some of whom included Sofia Richie Grainge, Nicole Warne, Junho Lee, Kelly Rutherford, Damson Idris, Central Cee, Sonam Kapoor, Mia Regan— to their dancing feet.

Even as the show ended, there was that essential buzz in the air, where guests were more inclined to stick around and revel a little longer rather than dart off to the next NYFW party. Myself included.

Both aesthetically and experientially, it’s one of Hilfiger’s most endearing collections to date, with a palpable sense of deep connection running throughout. Perhaps home really is where the heart is, or at least where the best kind of inspiration is found. I suppose in reminding himself of what he loves about New York, Mr Hilfiger also succeeded in reminding us of why it loves him.