You visit L.A. quite often, where do you stay while you're in town?
"I stay at a bunch of hotels — the Sunset Marquis, the Four Seasons, The Peninsula. It depends on what I'm in town for and the proximity to that business."

Once you unpack your bags, where do you head first?
"Either Mr. Chow or Cecconi's."

Do you ever get cravings for certain L.A. dishes when you're back home in NYC?
"I often crave the Cecconi's pizza, but there's enough pizza in New York to keep me satisfied!"

Some would say you're a tad vintage obsessed, what do you think is your best vintage "get"?
"I think Marilyn Monroe's cowboy boots from The Misfits. I also have a pair of her jeans. Any of my Marilyn stuff, really!"

So, where can folks visiting L.A. shop for rad vintage finds?
"My go-tos are Decades, Lily Et Cie, Mister Freedom, American Rag, and What Goes Around Comes Around."

How do you think the iconic East Coast vibe of Tommy intersects with West Coast style?
"My clothes are very casual and inherently West Coast. So, bringing the clothing here is organic. It's not so much trying to transplant 'East Coast clothing.' I think the imagery of the company is labeled East Coast because it's so preppy. But, if you really look at each piece, they're as East Coast as they are West Coast."

How do you think the two coasts differ?
"I think the West Coast is much more casual — and that obviously has a lot to do with the weather and the climate."

What do you say to people who take a look at your collections and immediately say, "I can't pull that off, I'm not a preppy person"?
"Look, there's prep-surf, prep rock and roll — prep obviously has many different personalities. Even though the brand is coined as such, if any shopper were to turn around and look at that motorcycle jacket we have in the window, they would realize that it all depends on how you wear certain items."

Red carpets are so common here in L.A. — who are some of the red-carpet regulars totally killing it these days?
"Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Jessica Alba, and Alicia Keys. They're all completely different women, but all of them are strong in their sense of style. If they were to come into the new store, I would love to see Jennifer Lopez in any and all of my runway pieces, and Jessica Alba I could see wearing more casual-prep items from the shop."

Since you're in Hollywood now, we've got to ask: What is your favorite flick of all time?
"The Graduate, hands down! Dustin Hoffman's the greatest."

Photo: Courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger

Prep School: Tommy Hilfiger's East-Meets-West Coast Party

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