Hilfiger goes full nautical for Fashion Week, with runway show on former Staten Island Ferry boat
NEW YORK -- Tommy Hilfiger loves celebrating New York City and its landmarks.He also loves a nautical theme — and a big surprise.So for his New York Fashion Week show on Sunday night, the designer brought all those elements together in his typically splashy way, inviting guests aboard a decommissioned ferry boat and giving them not only a runway show but a rap-filled finale.The live musical performance, which electrified the fashion crowd, featured Ghostface Killah, Method Man, and Raekwon from Staten Island’s own Wu-Tang clan weaving through the runways and seats as they sang.
The soundtrack was curated by Questlove, who also served as DJ for Hilfiger’s February show at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station.“We’re inspired by nautical this season,” Hilfiger told The Associated Press before the show.“But it’s nautical, preppy, collegiate, all-American and modern.
So we needed to show it either on the water, on a boat or near the water.Then we found out the Staten Island Ferry was available.”The boat, called the John F.
Kennedy, served as a Staten Island Ferry until it was decommissioned in 2021.It was bought the following year by investors including actor-comedian Pete Davidson and “Saturday Night Live's” Colin Jost, who both grew up in the New York City borough.“We are really the first people to utilize it (the ferry) for an event,” Hilfiger said.
“We’re really excited.”Jost was delighted to see the boat being used for the purpose he imagined.“It’s pretty crazy," he said.
"It’s one of the few days where I’ve been on the boat and been like, ‘Oh, say, this is nice.This is how it can work.’“I took this exact boat every single morning to high school,” Jost added, explaining why he'd bought the boat.
"And when it was available, I just loved the vibe of it.”Hilfiger's Spring 2025 collection featured nautical style stripes “inspired by sailing heritage,” the label explained, and casual styles like capri pants a...