Tommy Hilfiger on Florence, skiing in Courchevel, and his life in travel

'Almost everyone looks fabulous in Florence'

Tommy Hilfiger, fashion designer

Florence is the most fashionable city in the world.

The Italians just get it and almost everyone looks fabulous in Florence. It's a great place to shop, full of obscure little back-street stores that sell things you won't find in cities elsewhere in the world.

Japan is like a different planet.

I remember going to the Tsukiji fish market at the crack of dawn and couldn't believe the size of the tuna at auction. They fetch thousands. Sadly, there's much less there now than in previous years because the oceans are being so heavily fished.

Food forms an important part of every trip.

Eating is my favourite pastime. I love lunch at Club 55 in St Tropez. Take my advice and order the grilled sea bass and tomato salad with hard-boiled eggs, but save room for the famous Tarte Tropézienne for dessert.

Best meal of my life? Il Riccio in Capri.

Not just for the food – the most incredible seafood linguine you'll ever taste – but also for its location. It's quite small and perched on a cliff overlooking the sea. Dolce & Gabbana shot a campaign there. It's that beautiful.

La dolce vita: Tommy was charmed by Florence (Getty)

I love a road trip.

As a boy, we would go to the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. They were each formed by glaciers centuries ago and named after Native Americans such as Seneca and Cayuga. We'd jump in the car and go boating and fishing and have barbecue picnics. That love has remained and I often take my family on road trips across New England, to places such as Nantucket and Cape Cod. The whole place is dotted with charming seaside towns that seem like they're lifted straight from the 1950s.

I once stayed somewhere so bad I slept in my clothes.

I was in Uganda to do some charity work and my hotel room was so horrible I didn't even want to put my head on the pillow. I was going to cover it with a towel, but that was so gross I couldn't touch it. I was genuinely afraid of lice and bed bugs. I'm pretty sure I picked up a few.

India scared me, but I fell in love with it.

I first visited in the 1970s and remember the plane door opening and the stench of Bombay flooding in. It was a mixture of cooking, body odour, raw sewage and aviation fuel. I spent hours waiting for my suitcase at the baggage carousel, while people outside pressed themselves against the glass and begged for food and money; it was intense. But it's so inspiring; I love wandering through the markets looking for fabric.

Skiing in Courchevel is always a treat.

I stay at Hôtel le Saint Roch, a tiny chalet decked out with vintage barn wood but the rooms are modern and chic. Best of all, you walk outside and you're straight on the piste. It couldn't be better.

When I need to get away from it all, I go to Mustique.

I have a house on the island, which is part of the Grenadines in the Caribbean. I spend my days jogging, biking, playing volleyball, paddle boarding and eating at the beach bars. It's blissful. What I love most about it is that it offers a taste of traditional Caribbean, real barefoot elegance.

The Raleigh Hotel in Miami is a tiny piece of history on South Beach.

It's my favourite hotel, not just because I own it, but because it's an Art Deco gem that dates back to the 1940s. We've barely changed it so as to keep it true to its legacy. Other hotels I love are The Peninsula Hong Kong, which is classic and beautiful, and the Bel Air in Los Angeles.

Tommy Hilfiger is a fashion designer. His latest collection is available at tommy.com