• Intelligencer
  • The Cut
  • Vulture
  • The Strategist
  • Curbed
  • Grub Street
  • Subscribe to the Magazine Give a Gift Subscription Buy Back Issues Current Issue Contents New York Shop
    Subscribe to New York Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Profile
    Sign Out
The Cut
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
Style
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Parties & Red Carpet
  • Fashion Shows
  • Cathy Horyn
  • The Cut Shop
Self
  • Health & Wellness
  • The State of the Uterus
  • Parenting
  • Advice
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Horoscopes
Culture
  • Books
  • Television
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Celebrity
Power
  • Politics
  • Work
  • Money
  • Rebecca Traister
More
  • Latest Stories
  • Video
  • About Us
  • nymag.com
  • New York Magazine
  • Intelligencer
  • Vulture
  • The Cut
  • The Strategist
  • Grub Street
  • Curbed
April 14, 2014

Q&A: Tommy Hilfiger on Zooey Deschanel, Peter Pan Collars, and ‘Mod-ical’ Style

By Véronique Hyland

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
Photo: Jason LaVeris/Getty Images

When news broke that Zooey Deschanel was designing a collection for Tommy Hilfiger — themed around a nautical-mod hybrid called “modical” — it sounded charming if not a little bit twee. Today marks the in-store launch of that collaboration, titled To Tommy, From Zooey. The collection includes 16 dresses, along with jewelry and bags, and retails between $98 and $199. The Cut caught up with the designer to talk about working with Zooey, ‘60s icons, and coining new fashion terms.

How did you link up with Zooey to create this collection?
Well, I met her in Santa Monica a couple of years ago. I can tell she really understood what was going on in fashion because of what she was wearing. She had this vintage outfit on — sometimes you can tell right away. I could tell immediately she had a great sense of style.

Do you remember what the vintage outfit was specifically?
It was a short jumpsuit of some sort. Sometimes you look at people who are dressed in vintage and you think they might’ve made a mistake.

Like it looks costume-y or something.
Right, but then I just thought, Wow, she really gets it. And I also think her show is kind of funny and she’s sort of quirky and cool. So I thought it would be a great idea to do a collaboration. I think she’s got a great sense of style, and I think a lot of young women want to follow her and wear what she wears and they like her expressions and her attitude.

She has this very girly style and self-presentation that is also very vintage-influenced and she’s talked a lot about how dressing in a feminine way is empowering for her. I was wondering what you thought about that, in terms of doing this collection that’s very much inspired by the way she dresses.
It was just really a perfect collaboration because it’s so harmonious. She was very inspirational and influential and I would say very clear about what she wanted and what she didn’t want, so we were able to put it into our blender and mix it with what we are known for and get the red, white, and blue with a nautical influence. It was a perfect balance of her ideas and our ideas blended together.

You share a lot of interests in terms of music and movies. You’re both very inspired by the ’60s. What kind of common tastes did you find?
We were talking more about people. Jean Shrimpton, Mary Quant — I would say, stars of that era. And how they dressed and what it might’ve been like back in the ‘60s and ‘70s in London and the King’s Road, when this whole Mod revolution took place. That’s when I was just beginning my business and just starting, so I remember the fashion at that point in time and it doesn’t really exist now. It’s not really out there, but you see bits and pieces of it. We wanted to bring that into one collection. We also coined [the term] “modical,” which I thought was kind of funny.

Was that something Zooey  came up with — that portmanteau?
Yeah, she did. We thought that was pretty genius.

What was the process of creating the collection, in terms of her involvement; the inspirations that she brought and her input in terms of the design process? How did that work?
Well, we showed her sketches, buttons, fabrics, colors — all sorts of things. We also showed her some vintage samples, tearsheets, all sorts of different inspirational objects and pieces. She was very clear about what she wanted and what she didn’t: “I like this, but I don’t like this.” She said, “Can you do those round Peter Pan colors?” I said, “Sure, no problem.” So we put round Peter Pan colors on some of the items. She said, “Can you do six buttons instead of three?” She was really very clear on what she thought would be cool.

And she’s probably fairly knowledgeable about fashion history just from all her experience with vintage. That’s her genuine look — it’s not a stylist’s look.
She’s not just a Hollywood star endorsing a brand. This is a true collaboration where she was working with our design team and very, very specific on what the fit should be, what the pleat length should be, right down to the minute details. It wasn’t a situation where the brand hired a Hollywood star to be the face of the brand or endorse the product. It was really building the product around her inspiration.

With her being in L.A., how did that work in terms of coordinating it? 
We were back and forth. For 18 months, we were back and forth.

So that’s a while in the making.
We really wanted to perfect it.

And you said you’re a fan of her character on New Girl. I know she’s going to be wearing some of the dresses on the show. What do you like about that character’s style? I know there’s a lot of overlap with Zooey’s style.
It’s very similar. It’s not identical, but it’s very similar. And I don’t want to say it’s one and the same, but I would say it’s as close as you can get. We loved that sort of quirky, preppy girl who’s a little bit off. Not perfectly beautiful, flawless, and without personality. We wanted to put the personality of Zooey into the brand.

Who do you see as the customer?
The customer is a young woman who has a fashion sensibility, loves great style, anything that is retro or vintage or recycled from that era. Someone who doesn’t want to look like everyone else.

Is this going to be a continuing collaboration? Is this something you’d consider doing again, working with her?
Yeah. We’re thinking about what to do next, because it’s been very successful. I don’t know if you saw her on SNL. [Deschanel wore one of the dresses in the collection when she joined Seth Rogen for his monologue.]

Oh, yeah.
She looked great on SNL. We went online the day before and the dresses started selling like crazy. We’ve got requests from all over the world. And today is the big launch at Macy’s. So to be honest with you, it’s better than we expected.

Are there other people in that world,  actresses or musicians, that you’d like to collaborate with? Is this something you’re thinking about doing with another person in the future?
We have some things planned for the future I can’t talk about yet. We like the idea of collaborations when they’re right, when they really work in a balanced way. We don’t think that just hiring a famous person to represent the brand is our [goal]. Many people do that. It doesn’t work when it’s not authentic.

This interview has been edited and condensed. 

Related

View
1 / 23 Photos
To Tommy, From Zooey A charming smock dress fit for Jessica Day. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey The collection includes accessories like this cross-body bag. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey An A-line pleated dress: definitely in Deschanel's wheelhouse. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey A scarf-printed bangle. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey  Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey  Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey  Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey  Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey  Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey  Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey A charm bracelet with a '60s flair. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey A carry-everywhere pochette. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey A painterly sailboat print. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey Whimsical polka dots get the preppy treatment. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey Deschanel wore this dress on Saturday Night Live. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey The nautical thread in the collection is picked up by this sailboat necklace. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey In the same vein, a compass necklace. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey Preppy piping enlivens an LBD. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey The chain-print dress Deschanel sported to fete the collab in L.A. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey Red, white, and blue: a Hilfiger signature. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey Schoolgirl-style pleats perfect for a She & Him concert. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey Anchors marked another sea-worthy motif. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
To Tommy, From Zooey A charming Mod shift in the vein of Mary Quant. Photo: Coutesy of Tommy Hilfiger
1 / 23

Tags:

  • tommy hilfiger
  • zooey deschanel
  • to tommy from zooey
  • collaboration nation

More Galleries

May 26, 2023
Cannes Film Festival 2023: Red Carpet  There’s more than movies to be shown. Here are all of the looks at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. 
keeping up with the royals May 6, 2023
All the Looks From King Charles III’s Coronation  Robes, crowns, and Katy Perry. 
By Brooke LaMantia
met gala 2023 May 2, 2023
Met Gala 2023: All the Looks  See all the dresses, some on-theme and some, well, not so much — honoring Karl Lagerfeld at the Met Gala. 
By Brooke LaMantia
oscars 2023 Mar. 12, 2023
Oscars Red Carpet 2023: Every Look  Rihanna! Florence Pugh! Michelle Yeoh! They’re all here. 
celebrity Feb. 19, 2023
All the Best Looks From the 2023 BAFTAs Red Carpet  Florence Pugh, Barry Keoghan, and Angela Bassett brought color to the red carpet. 
grammys 2023 Feb. 5, 2023
Every Look From the 2023 Grammys Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Lizzo, Bad Bunny, Adele, Doja Cat, Jack Harlow, Mary J. Blige, Sam Smith, and more.
By Brooke LaMantia
golden globes 2023 Jan. 10, 2023
All the Looks From the 2023 Golden Globes  Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jenna Ortega, Jessica Chastain, Julia Garner, Jeremy Allen White, Angela Bassett, and more. 
parties! Sept. 23, 2022
Katie Holmes, Chloë Sevigny, and More of the Bestest Party Pics This Week  Chanel, Mejuri, and more celebrate. 
parties! Sept. 16, 2022
Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, and More of the Bestest Party Pics This Week  Fendi, Frame, and Coach all celebrated NYFW. 
emmys 2022 Sept. 12, 2022
Emmys 2022: All the Red Carpet Looks  Updating: What Hollywood is wearing to the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards. 
By Olivia Luppino
nyfw spring 2023 Sept. 9, 2022
Gigi Hadid, Chlöe Bailey, and More of the Bestest Party Pics of the Week  Saks Fifth Avenue, Longchamp, and more celebrate the beginning of NYFW. 
rip Sept. 9, 2022
The Queen Sure Did Love to Color-Coordinate  Monochrome for decades. 
red carpet Sept. 6, 2022
The Venice Film Festival Is a Major Fashion Event  Valentino and Gucci and Armani, oh my. 
red carpet June 5, 2022
All the Best Looks at the 2022 MTV Movie and TV Awards  Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Hudgens, Jay Ellis, and more! 
parties! May 20, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Harry Styles > everyone! 
parties! May 13, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Bury me in Dove Cameron’s Saint Sintra skirt. 
parties! May 6, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Cue the Met Gala after-party FOMO. 
met gala 2022 May 2, 2022
Met Gala 2022: All the Looks [Photos]  Billie Eilish, Kim Kardashian, Michelle Yeoh, Hailey Bieber, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Blake Lively, and more. 
parties! Apr. 29, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  This one goes to Olivia Rodrigo and her sweater vest. 
parties! Apr. 22, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  “Fuck those Zoom tops.” 
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
  • About The Cut
  • About New York Magazine
  • Newsletters
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Media Kit
  • We’re Hiring
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Ad Choices
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Accessibility
The Cut is a Vox Media Network. © 2023 Vox Media, LLC. All rights reserved.