The Only Collection I Actually Want to ‘See Now, Buy Now’ Is Tommy x Gigi

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Last Thursday night, Tommy Hilfiger pulled out all the proverbial stops for the runway debut of his buzzy collaboration with Gigi Hadid. He transformed a portion of the South Street Seaport into “Tommy Pier,” a carnival complete with a Ferris wheel, lobster rolls, and other highly Instagrammable attractions. Hadid’s pal Taylor Swift was there. (This editor, tragically, was not.) And to top it all off, the entire runway was immediately shoppable — hence the evening’s hashtag, #TOMMYNOW.

From a design standpoint, the Tommy x Gigi capsule wasn’t exactly groundbreaking. It was peppered with peacoats, striped knits, and sailor pants. Mostly everything stuck to a red, white, and blue color palette. Take Gigi Hadid’s name off of these pieces, in fact, and they’d fit right into any of Tommy Hilfiger’s other all-American lineups. But that doesn’t change the fact that Tommy x Gigi was my favorite collection shown this whole week, and the only one I plan to actually shop.

Photo: Tommy Hilfiger

I particularly love the navy nautical print minidress — and not just because Swift, who could sell bottled water to a drowning woman if that woman happened to be me — has already worn the maxi version. I’m also jonesing for several of the striped sweaters and the boxy top-handled mini bag. Unlike so much of what came down the runways last week, I could truly see myself wearing these clothes.

But that’s not the only reason why I’m (literally) buying what Hilfiger and Hadid are selling. In a week packed with shows touted as “see now, buy now,” few brands have presented looks I — or most shoppers, for that matter — can realistically buy at all. That stunning beaded skirt Ralph Lauren showed? Perfect, if you’ve got $6,990 to spend. Tom Ford’s standout intarsia furs? They could be yours today — for the cool price of $14,500 and up. Even the selection of immediately-shoppable spring 2017 items from Michael Kors’s show are surprisingly spendy; the platform heels, the least-expensive pieces on offer, are $695.

Photo: Tommy Hilfiger

By contrast, most Tommy x Gigi pieces will set you back $150 to $350. Not cheap, per se, but not bad for straight-off-the-runway clothes. As fashion week continues to become a more consumer-facing event, it’s nice to see a brand show things I can actually, er, consume.

That is, if I act fast. A good chunk of the Tommy x Gigi collection — including most of the knitwear and sweatshirts — is already sold out. Looks like I’m not alone here.