Foo and Foo’s brand of renegade prep came full circle for fall with a distressed, nautical-themed collection.
Elizabeth Hilfiger said her childhood summers on Nantucket, Massachusetts, were a tipping point of both inspiration and tension. “It’s my version of nautical. I recently got nostalgic about childhood and going to Nantucket and realizing that I hated on it so much but now realize that it’s actually quite beautiful. This is my own interpretation of it,” she said.
This distressed prep showed up in upcycled fisherman sweaters, blouses studded with the shape of a cute anchor and a cheerful light blue and white color scheme — striking contrast with the brand’s edgy basics. It’s a layered look that resembles how many students at The Rhode Island School of Design dress, particularly while thrifting from New England’s local finds of preppy times past. It’s no coincidence that Hilfiger went to RISD herself.
Foo and Foo does not try to hide its commercial, wearable ambitions. About a third of the collection’s looks were styled with the baggy carpenter jeans, soft waffle thermals and hoodies that Foo and Foo counts as its bread and butter.
Hilfiger, in fact, is finding her niche at creating soft, wearable clothes that look like the optimal, worn-in sweatshirt or T-shirt one aims to find at a thrift shop. But as vintage becomes more sought after and those faded items find their way into pricey boutiques, it’s brands like Foo and Foo that will capitalize on offering a certain ease of access to comfortable, slouchy things.