On September 24th, Tommy Hilfiger celebrated photographer Sam Haskins’ more than fifty years of inspiring images with the kick-off of his exhibition at Milk Studios in New York. Coinciding with the event was the launch of their new collaboration, a remastered retrospective of Haskins’ work entitled Fashion Etcetera by Sam Haskins: Tommy Hilfiger Special Edition, for which Hilfiger designed a new special-edition cover and wrote the forward.
The designer, who has become an American icon in his own right, felt that Haskins had been somewhat underappreciated, despite having captured some of pop culture’s most recognizable imagery. “We originally approached Sam because we wanted to praise him, pay homage to him, and celebrate his work. I felt like he was never given enough credit,” Hilfiger said. The pairing seemed like a natural fit for the designer, who has previously referenced Haskins’ work in both his spring and fall 2008 collections. “I’m inspired by all sorts of photography, art, pop art, music,” Hilfiger said. In addition to reimagining the book’s cover, the designer has also created a capsule collection of products based around the image “Girl and Curl”. “She’s a true classic and a natural beauty,” Hilfiger explained of his photo choice. “She reminds of my wife Dee. She’s a true Tommy Hilfiger woman.”
Thursday’s event capped off an exciting few weeks for the enterprising designer. The new Tommy Hilfiger Fifth Avenue flagship opened its doors on September 17th, the same day that Hilfiger closed New York fashion week with his spring 2010 showing. So will he still be producing new works after fifty years like his friend Sam, now 82? “I look at Armani, I look at Karl Lagerfeld… they’re both in their seventies, and still going strong. If you love what you do, and you’re passionate about it, you can have that [longevity].”
Fashion Etcetera by Sam Haskins: Tommy Hilfiger Special Edition retails for $100 and can be purchased at Tommy Hilfiger stores. Visit www.tommy.com and www.samhaskinsblog.com for more information.
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