Talking with Tommy

Tommy Hilfiger fuses its iconic preppie style and high-tech performance in its new US SailGP team line.

This article was written by Bill Springer. Photography courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger.

Full disclosure. I’m not a fashion writer. Nor do I play one on TV. However, I am a sailor, (and a pseudo-preppie) who’s old enough to remember when Tommy Hilfiger launched his first sailing-inspired line in the 1990s. I’m also a longtime yachting journalist who’s watched the SailGP grow from a fledgling sail racing league founded by Oracle’s Larry Ellison and America’s Cup legend Russell Coutts in 2018, into the sexy and competitive sports league that’s comprised of 12 national teams that race in 12 iconic cities around the world today. 

So, when I heard that the Tommy Hilfiger brand would be partnering with the US SailGP team, I wanted to learn everything I could about the brand’s sailing roots. Then I spoke with the legendary designer in person. Turns out, he’s as involved and as passionate about sailing and the yachting lifestyle now as he was when he launched his first sailing line over thirty years ago.

“What inspired you to get involved with the US SailGP team?” I ask.

“We’re always looking ahead. And that’s why I love what Mike Buckley is doing with the US SailGP Team. It’s modern. It’s basically Formula 1 on the water. And our partnership with the US SailGP Team perfectly reflects our shared passion to push boundaries, embrace innovation, and shake up tradition with an unexpected edge.”

Who is Mike Buckley, you ask? Well, he’s the highly competitive, outspoken, and dogged CEO/Co-Owner and strategist of the current US SailGP team. And, he’s a full-on evangelist when he talks about bringing the excitement and mass market appeal of high-performance sailboat racing to a broader audience. So, I was not surprised when I heard Mike landed a partnership deal with Tommy. 

“I’d been trying to get the Tommy Hilfiger brand back into sailing since I sent a cold DM to Tommy’s Instagram account in 2018. Um…he didn’t respond. Then in 2019, I was sitting on my couch watching the Met Gala, when all of a sudden, Tommy and his wife are on the red carpet decked out in red, white, and blue. Then British Formula 1 race car driver Lewis Hamilton came in, all decked out in Tommy Hilfiger. I knew it was a sign.

“This collaboration is a dream come true for me and it’s powered by Tommy’s belief that anything is possible if you dream big and never give up. For me, it’s more than a sponsorship—it’s a collaboration that reflects a shared vision of performance, style, and making an impact.”

The sailor in me says “Amen brother.” 

And I gotta admit, the pseudo-preppie in me is digging the Tommy x US SailGP Team capsule collection that just dropped, too. Inspired by the brand’s archives, the collection combines iconic nautical elements with technical features and Tommy Hilfiger’s signature red, white, and blue logo. Plus, you couldn’t find more authentic models to introduce the new line than Buckley and his U.S. SailGP teammates pictured here.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll be going to fashion shows next!

Stay tuned.

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