Sofia Richie Grainge’s latest project - a design collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger - couldn’t have been more timely. The 26-year-old mother of one began the process when she was in the early stages of expecting her now 10-month-old daughter, Eloise, and it has since proved just the ticket to get her back to feeling like her normal self.
‘I feel like I’m back to where I was [style wise] before I was pregnant,’ she tells ELLE UK via Zoom from her California home. ‘I'm not very stylish in my house, but when it comes to dressing to go out for the day I have returned to my normal “uniform”.’
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‘When I was pregnant my style changed completely so that was an adjustment and something that I had to get creative with. It’s hard to dress a changing body.’
Richie Grainge’s first foray back into fashion is something of a full circle. ‘Tommy Hilfiger was one of the first major brands that I ever worked with when I was 15 years old. We have history,’ she says. ‘I idolise the amazing brand that he's built over the years. I’m in a really creative place right now so I was excited to be able to really collaborate rather than just be the face of the collection.’
The result of the collaboration that was worked on for many months and across continents is a capsule of relaxed pieces that sit on the more casual side of style, yet they have a polish that points at Richie Grainge’s influence. She says ‘There's a little bit of everything in the collection… We really made sure that it felt like a united version of both of our styles. Tommy has such a signature look, so it was exciting to just sprinkle some aspects of my personal style and what I think is chic on his original designs.’
‘Chic’ is a favourite adjective of Richie Grainge’s, with the hard ‘c’ at the end offering a satisfying payoff in her Los Angeles accent. And that LA influence makes its way into the collection, too.
If Americana is the Tommy Hilfiger brand, then this sense of America’s long-standing sartorial values is a key element of the collaboration uniting East and West Coast tastes. ‘When I think of Tommy my brain just goes directly to New York City and Los Angeles is such a big part of who I am. That became what I wanted to express, alongside a level of young sophistication with a level of class. I wanted it to feel young, fun and Los Angeles - all sunshine and happy - and then Tommy's team brought in that signature New York City and red, white and blue style.’
Her number one pick would be a red and white striped dress. What she says, and which I agree with, is ‘chic.’
On every mention of the project during our conversation, it’s clear that Richie Grainge is so happy to have had this opportunity of pure collaboration and moodboard-to-reality execution. She is ‘flattered,’ ‘amazed,’ ‘blessed’ - it’s sweet to listen to someone be so passionate about a project that they could have offered the lightest of touches to but instead went full in on, even when there were moments of early pregnancy that made it tough.
‘What will stick with me is just the overall experience and how much I learned. Being a part of such a large team is so fun, and I'll never forget it, especially because there were a lot of mothers on the team who were so understanding. I started it when I was four months pregnant and not feeling the best. They were all really sweet, flexible and kind through every step, even when they didn’t need to be. I had such an amazing experience.’
Primarily since her viral 2023 wedding, Richie Grainge has been praised for establishing a style signature that has moved away from her peer group’s fascination with flashing flesh and cut-outs to something more modest. It’s what makes her feel most empowered, she says. ‘I feel the strongest as a woman when I dress, yes, young, but sophisticated, and with a level of classiness. That's the comfort zone for me, but it's [also important to] find a way to stay young and hip with that. It's fun for me to be creative and find ways to make [that style of dressing] young and fun.'
She has also made a conscious decision to shy away from trends, which has also infiltrated the approach for this collection, too. ‘We weren't following any trends going into it. We just wanted to make timeless, gorgeous pieces, and I feel like we did an excellent job at executing it.’
‘I have become cautious of not following trends because that’s when you lose yourself. So in my day-to-day life, I make a conscious effort to not go with the trends and go with what feels right for me. That was definitely on the forefront of my mind designing this collection.’ She pauses. ‘That’s not to say, however, that I am not a normal girl who is definitely influenced by TikTok to try things like a new lip combo. I am that girl, but I try to be a bit more conscious with clothing.’
The glam for the Tommy Hilfiger campaign was inspired by how she’s wearing her hair and makeup right now in real life. ‘We wanted it to feel relaxed and effortless,’ she laughs adding: ‘The natural looks always take the longest to put together. I could have just three dots of concealer on my face and be in glam for five hours.’
Being in front of the camera has become more commonplace for Richie Grainge in recent years. It’s helped her understand what she prefers from a glam team. ‘I want to feel like I have clean, natural skin. I want my inner glow to shine. I never want the foundation to be so heavy that you can’t see my features, like rosy cheeks, my freckles or the little marks I have on my face. I’m always into accentuating them. I like to keep it as natural as possible. But we all have those days where maybe we're breaking out and we have to wear a little bit more…’
With the collection available now, I wrap up with Richie Grainge by asking if she’s going to be the sort of designer that approaches people she sees wearing her Tommy Hilfiger collection. ‘I can be shy sometimes so I don't know if I would go up to someone, but I would maybe be like, “I love your outfit.” I don't know how I’ll respond. It's somewhat of a dream come true and super surreal. I just hope that people feel empowered and confident when they’re wearing it. Thats what will make my heart so happy.’
Tommy Hilfiger The Sofia Capsule Breton Stripe Relaxed Jumper
Tommy Hilfiger The Sofia Capsule Stripe Maxi Dress
Tommy Hilfiger The Sofia Capsule Straight Jeans
Tommy Hilfiger The Sofia Capsule Oversized Boyfriend Shirt
Tommy Hilfiger The Sofia Capsule Roll Neck Sleeveless Jumper
Tommy Hilfiger The Sofia Capsule Pure Linen Mini Dress
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