Tommy Hilfiger halts flotation

The move could also prompt a rethink at other high-profile fashion brands, such as Prada and Salvatore Ferragamo in Milan.

Hilfiger, viewed as an all-American lifestyle brand and famous for its "preppy" look, was acquired by private equity group Apax Partners – which also co-owns the UK's New Look fashion chain – for $1.6bn in 2006. Now the company has abandoned plans for a £1.5bn stock market float in Amsterdam, blaming the turmoil in global markets.