Tommy Hilfiger is teaming with Vetements, the Zurich-based ultracool streetwear brand, for a unisex collaboration this fall.
Hilfiger posted news about the collaboration on his Instagram over the weekend. In a telephone interview Sunday, he told WWD that he met Vetements chief executive officer Guram Gvasalia about six to nine months ago, and two months ago Gvasalia called him and said they’d like to do a collaboration.
“I was very excited. What they’ve done is quite genius. They have their own rule book. They do what they want and do it when and how they want,” said Hilfiger.
The spring Vetements x Tommy Hilfiger collaboration will be distributed to Vetements’ account roster in February, including such stores as Barneys New York, Harrods and Colette, said Hilfiger. The collection will include unisex items such as hoodies, with a flag and crest, short-sleeve T-shirts, beanies and socks. The T-shirts, for example, will have a Vetements logo on the back and a Tommy Hilfiger logo on the front.
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“It’s luxe streetwear. Nobody does it better than these guys,” said Hilfiger. He said the hoodies are oversized, which is Vetements’ trademark. The color range consists of gray heather, navy, red and fuchsia.
The oversized raglan-sleeve hoodie will retail for $1,119.60, the double-sleeve hoodie for $971, socks will be $102.80, the cap will be $285.60 and the long-sleeve T-shirt is $719.70. The prices are converted at current exchange.
He noted that the collaboration is for one season, but said, “Who knows what might happen in the future?”
The designer is upbeat about the prospects. “We agreed to it because we think it’s such a cool brand and think it will be an incredible collaboration,” he said.
“The fact that a disruptive designer like Demna [Gvasalia] would want to do something with our brand is a tremendous compliment,” he said. Hilfiger said he also loved the idea that Vetements decided to photograph real people on the streets of Zurich for its look book.
Vetements burst on the fashion scene in 2014 with high-energy shows in venues including the basement of a seedy gay club and a shabby Chinese restaurant, before moving to couture week as a guest member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. The brand is based on the idea of urban cultures, the Internet and everyday street life — without seasonal themes. The brand recently moved its headquarters to Zurich and is controlled by the two brothers, Demna and Guram. Demna Gvasalia is also the artistic director at Balenciaga.
Previous Vetements collaborations have included Manolo Blahnik for shoes, Juicy Couture for tracksuits and Canada Goose for parkas. The brand also partners with Alpha Industries, Levi’s, Macintosh and Reebok.
Hilfiger, meanwhile, has been doing his own collaborations of late — the designer recently extended his deal with Gigi Hadid for another season after two successful collections he showed in New York and Los Angeles. The next show will be in London in September.