Male mannequins playing tennis wearing Tommy Hilfiger's 2016 Spring / Summer tailored collection
(Image credit: TBC)

Mood board: The all-American breeziness of Tommy Hilfiger was transferred to glamorous island hopping holidays of the 1950s as the brand chose London to launch its tailored collection. Business attire was offered in tropical weave and light mohair wools and dynamic patterns featured in the collection were inspired by the architecture found in Honolulu, Hawaii. Classic nautical accents were added to handsome, modern silhouettes. The season also sees the introduction of underwear in bold colours and palm prints, influenced by the work of menswear's consistent muse, the English artist David Hockey.

Best in show: A mix of textures best illustrated the laidback island mood running throughout. A breaking up of the suit was a key message as trousers and jackets will now be sold separately in Tommy stores to allow customers to refine their own look. Both slim trousers and suit jackets were offered in the same sorbet of shades in finely ribbed cotton piqué, smooth sateen and crunchy linen.

Finishing touches: In collaboration with global brand ambassador Rafael Nadal, Hilfiger introduced four limited edition suits each made using high performance fabric for spring/summer 2016. The double-breasted styles are water repellent, stain safe and crease resistant and also boast a special antibacterial finish to help maintain the natural breathability of fine wool. That makes for one hard working piece of kit.

Male mannequins wearing Tommy Hilfiger's Spring / Summer 2016 tailored collection

(Image credit: TBC)

Male mannequins playing tennis wearing Tommy Hilfiger's Spring / Summer 2016 tailored collection

(Image credit: TBC)

Male mannequins wearing Tommy Hilfiger's Spring / Summer 2016 tailored collection

(Image credit: TBC)

Male models wearing Tommy Hilfiger's Spring / Summer 2016 underwear in bold colours and palm prints

(Image credit: TBC)

London based writer Dal Chodha is editor-in-chief of Archivist Addendum — a publishing project that explores the gap between fashion editorial and academe. He writes for various international titles and journals on fashion, art and culture and is a contributing editor at Wallpaper*. Chodha has been working in academic institutions for more than a decade and is Stage 1 Leader of the BA Fashion Communication and Promotion course at Central Saint Martins. In 2020 he published his first book SHOW NOTES, an original hybrid of journalism, poetry and provocation.