By Ashley Auger
Little did I know, there are perks to being a Tommy Hilfiger intern in NYC. A week before Fashion Week began, I was sent an invitation to go to the Tommy Hilfiger Women’s and Men’s Fall ’09 fashion show at Bryant Park.
On the day of the show, I woke up at 8 a.m. and arrived at Bryant park by 9:30 a.m., where I noticed some of my coworkers waiting in line to get into the Tommy Hilfiger tent. When we were finally let in, I was so amazed at how much the inside didn’t resemble a tent. Call me naive, but I had no idea what to expect once I got there.
Surrounded by fashionistas and security guards, I waited inside with the large group of N.J. and N.Y. Tommy Hilfiger employees to enter the show. Half an hour later, we were let in. The room was amazingly compact; it was much smaller than I expected, and the lights were already dimmed. The photographers were packed into one small space in front of the runway to snap their pictures, and we were sent into the “standing” section, which is where the online invitation from Tommy himself told us to go. Luckily for me, there were a few seats left open on the main floor, and I was let in to sit with the powerful people of the fashion world.
At this point, I couldn’t wait for the show to begin. Suddenly, the lights dimmed more and started to focus solely on the runway. The show was beginning! With an intro of bass-blasting dance music that shook the whole tent, the models started to appear, showing off Tommy Hilfiger’s Fall ’09 designs. I was so amazed! The models walked in stride down the runway, almost as if dancing to the beat of the music. While the guy sitting next to me was bobbing his head, I was busy fumbling with my camera so I could catch every single outfit on every single model that walked by.
As I was taking pictures, I saw Nina Garcia, editor-at-large for Elle magazine and a judge on “Project Runway,” and actress Zoe Saldana (“Center Stage” and “Drumline”) sitting in the front row straight across from me. Even though I have seen celebrities walking around Manhattan, I still tend to get a little starstruck every now and then.
Then, almost as fast at it began, the show ended. What? The show ended? I felt like I walked in, fumbled with my camera and walked out. I’m not sure I had exactly absorbed what just happened, but I was excited nonetheless. When Tommy Hilfiger walked onto the runway at the end of the show, I felt a great deal of respect and inspiration.
Tommy Hilfiger started designing fashion in his teenage years when he opened his own store called People’s Place. Who knew that that store would be the beginning of his very own successful fashion empire. Tommy’s runway show was one of the fastest, yet most amazing experiences of my life. If you ever get the chance to go, here’s a tip: Don’t waste time fumbling with your camera. The show will be over before you know it!