Tommy Hilfiger | |
|---|---|
 Hilfiger in 1996 | |
| Born | Thomas Jacob Hilfiger (1951-03-24)March 24, 1951 (age 74) Elmira, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
| Label | Tommy Hilfiger |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 5, including Ricky Hil |
| Website | tommy |
Thomas Jacob Hilfiger (/hɪlˈfɪɡər/hil-FIG-ər; born March 24, 1951)[1] is an American fashion designer and the founder ofTommy Hilfiger Corporation.[2]
After starting his career by co-founding a chain of jeans/fashion stores called People's Place inupstate New York in the 1970s, he began designingpreppy clothing for his own eponymousmenswear line in the 1980s. The company later expanded into women's clothing and various luxury items such asperfumes and went public in 1992.
Hilfiger's collections are often influenced by the fashion of music subcultures and marketed in connection with the music industry,[3][4] with celebrities such as AmericanR&B artistAaliyah in the 1990s.[5] In 2005, contestants in theCBSreality showThe Cut competed for a design job with Hilfiger in a similar fashion toThe Apprentice.[6] In 2006, Hilfiger sold his company for $1.6 billion toApax Partners,[7] who next sold it in 2010 toPhillips-Van Heusen for $3 billion.[8] He remains the company's principal designer, leading the design teams and overseeing the entire creative process.[9] In 2012, Hilfiger was awarded theGeoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from theCouncil of Fashion Designers of America.[10]
Hilfiger was born on March 24, 1951, inElmira, New York,[11] the second of nine children.[12] Both of his parents were practicing Catholics.[13][14] His father Richard was a watchmaker of German-Swiss descent,[12] and his mother Virginia (née Gerrity)[15] was a nurse of Irish descent.[16] Hilfiger also claims direct descent from Gilbert Burns, brother of the Scottish poetRobert Burns.[17] His paternal family originated fromSafenwil,Canton of Aargau,Switzerland with the original spelling of his family name beingHilfiker and beingAmericanized after emigration by his ancestors.[18][19]
Hilfiger has described his upbringing as very happy. He credits his parents with instilling a good work ethic and compassion for others.[20] He has dyslexia.[21] Hilfiger had an early interest in sports, fashion, and the music industry,[22] a trend that ran in his family.[23] One of his brothers,Andy Hilfiger, went on to work as a musician and designer, while Hilfiger's other brother,Billy Hilfiger,[15] would joinKing Flux and other bands as a guitarist.[24]
Hilfiger graduated from theElmira Free Academy high school in 1969.[12] His parents wanted him to get a college education and pursue a traditional career,[10] and for a time he attended GSTBOCES Bush Campus in Elmira.[25]
Hilfiger spent the summer of 1969 working in a clothing store onCape Cod,[26] and afterwards he decided to use his life savings of $150[27] to open a clothing store in 1971[citation needed] as People's Place.[26] The first store was located in downtown Elmira in what is now the site ofFirst Arena and had a hair salon, a record shop, and rock concerts in the basement.[26] To stock the store, Hilfiger and a friend drove to New York City to buy clothing such asbell-bottoms,peasant blouses, and leather jackets.[26] Unsatisfied with this, he began sketching his own designs, and would later write that "designing made me happier than anything I'd ever done. I knew from that early work that designing would be my life."[26]
The People's Place went bankrupt in 1977. Hilfiger enrolled in classes on commerce and the business side of the fashion industry.[10] After then moving to New York City[26] and working for several different labels, he set up a company called Tommy Hill in 1979.[26] One of his first clients wasJordache Jeans,[10][26] and as Hilfiger's company expanded beyond denim,[10] he spent time inIndia, learning more about his trade: "I would sit in the factory with my pile of sketches and watch them being made, tweaking as I went. There's no better design school in the world."[26] In 1981 he founded the company 20th Century Survival, and the following year he founded Click Point, which designed women's clothing.[citation needed]
In 1984, Hilfiger was approached by businessmanMohan Murjani,[16] to pursue his goal of designing and heading a men's sportswear line.[10][26] Murjani backed the necessary investment for Hilfiger to establish his own brand.[citation needed] Later Hilfiger oversaw the design of theCoca-Cola clothing line for Murjani.
[Wanting to form my own eponymous line] came from a desire to create something that wasn't out there already. I was really in tune with the market—I knew what existed, and I wanted this to be different. Maybe it's the small-town boy in me, but I've always loved theprep school look, traditionalIvy League, and the clothes that sailors and jocks wear. I wanted to take these familiar old things and give them a more laid-back attitude, to make them modern and cool...[with Tommy Hilfiger Corporation in 1985], finally, I felt like I was doing work that felt natural, that felt good. The brand we were building felt so honest, so true to who I am, that it didn't feel like a struggle at all.
— Tommy Hilfiger in 2010[26]
In 1985, he founded the Tommy Hilfiger Corporation with support from The Murjani Group. The new clothing line made its debut with a high-profile marketing campaign, for example setting up a large billboard inTimes Square[16] designed byGeorge Lois.[28] Hilfiger left Murjani International in 1989, withSilas Chou instead providing financial backing to the Hilfiger brand,[citation needed] and former executives ofRalph Lauren brought on board as executives of the newly formed company Tommy Hilfiger, Inc.[citation needed] The Tommy Hilfiger Corporation went public in 1992, introducing Hilfiger's signature menswear collection.[citation needed] Hilfiger was named Menswear Designer of the Year by theCouncil of Fashion Designers of America in 1995.[16][29]
After licensingPepe Jeans USA in 1995, in 1996, Tommy Hilfiger Inc. began distributing women's clothing.[citation needed] By the end of 1997 Hilfiger had opened his first store inBeverly Hills. This was followed by a store in London in 1998.[citation needed] Hilfiger was serving as the company's co-chairman by 1997,[citation needed] and that year he published his first book, titledAll American: A Style Book.[citation needed]
A professed lifelong fan ofrock and roll, Hilfiger's collections are often influenced by the fashion of music subcultures. The clothes are also marketed in connection with the music industry,[3][4] and as early as 1993 Hilfiger was an official sponsor forPete Townshend'sPsychoderelict tour. Hilfiger has also sponsored several musical events, includingSheryl Crow'sIf It Makes You Happy tour in 1997,[30]Britney Spears' 1999...Baby One More Time Tour as main sponsor,[31][32] andLenny Kravitz's 1999 Freedom tour.[33] By the mid-1990s, Hilfiger's style of clothing was popular with both the American "preppy" scene and aship hop fashion.[16] AmericanR&B iconAaliyah became the much-publicized spokesperson for Tommy Hilfiger Corporation in 1997.[5]
Hilfiger had a cameo in the fashion spoofZoolander in 2001,[34] and from 2002 to 2006 Tommy Hilfiger Inc. owned the naming rights to theTommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theatre venue.[35] Largely due to declining sales in the early 2000s, Hilfiger began reworking the brand, striving to retain the designer brand exclusivity of the Hilfiger label by signing a deal to distribute the best-selling Hilfiger lines atMacy's only.[16]
The Tommy Hilfiger Corporation continued to work closely with musicians into the 2000s, focusing onfragrances as well as clothes.Sweetface Fashion, which owns theJ.Lo by Jennifer Lopez line,[36][37][38] was bought out by Tommy Hilfiger in 2003.[39][40]True Star, afragrance endorsed by Hilfiger and released in 2004, featuredBeyoncé as its poster girl.[41] The Tommy Hilfiger Corporation company had revenues of approximately $1.8 billion, and 5,400 employees by 2004.[10]
In 2005, aCBSreality show calledThe Cut tracked the progress of sixteen contestants as they competed for a design job with Tommy Hilfiger and their own fashion line under Hilfiger's label. The show progressed in a similar fashion toDonald Trump'sThe Apprentice. After a final competition that involved setting up the display window forMacy's Herald Square location in New York, Hilfiger chose Chris Cortez as the "next great American designer."[6]
In December 2005, Tommy Hilfiger sold the clothing brand for $1.6 billion, or $16.80 a share, toApax Partners, a private investment company.[42][7] The transaction was completed in May 2006.[43] In 2008 Hilfiger,Rives, andBar Refaeli co-hosted theBravo special programTommy Hilfiger Presents Ironic Iconic America.[44] Based on the bookIronic Iconic America written by Hilfiger and designerGeorge Lois,[45] the program examined howpop culture has influenced American tastes and styles.[46] In 2009 Hilfiger was a guest judge on an episode ofProject Runway,[34] and he presented theBest African Artist award toAkon at the2010 World Music Awards.[34]
In March 2010,Phillips-Van Heusen, owner of Calvin Klein and Izod, bought the Tommy Hilfiger brand from Apax Partners for $3 billion.[8][47] The Tommy Hilfiger online and in-store ad campaign called "Meet The Hilfigers" began in August 2010 and ran through August 2011.[48] In 2011, Hilfiger and a partner signed a contract to buy theMetropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower building for $170 million, planning to transform it into Hilfiger's first hotel, with luxury condos. Hilfiger backed off the project in September 2011.[49] A guest judge on the finale ofProject Runway: All Stars along withNeiman Marcus fashion director Ken Downing in 2012,[34] shortly afterwards he served as a fashion consultant to contestants on season 11 ofAmerican Idol.[23][50]
| "One year, my brotherAndy brought the sons and daughters of rock and Hollywood legends on a tour bus (includingMark Ronson,Kidada Jones, andKate Hudson) and threw fashion shows all over the country... we did [runway shows at]Madison Square Garden withBush playing live,Pharrell at Bryant Park, andLenny Kravitz in Paris. We hadTreach on the runway in London, withKate Moss andNaomi Campbell dancing around him. I've dressed theRolling Stones for [their 1998 "No Security"] tour, and working withMick Jagger and the band was such a great experience." |
| — Tommy Hilfiger in 2010[3][4] |
Hilfiger was instrumental in the creation of theMarc Anthony Collection in 2012,[51] asMarc Anthony had never been interested in the fashion business until Hilfiger called him and convinced him a line was worthwhile.[52] In 2012, Hilfiger was awarded theGeoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from theCouncil of Fashion Designers of America.[10] Global sales in retail for the brand in 2013 were US$6.4 billion,[9] and $6.7 billion in 2014.[53]
Hilfiger remains the company's principal designer, leading the design teams and overseeing the entire creative process.[9] In 2016, he collaborated with modelGigi Hadid on clothing designs[54] launching the TommyXGigi clothing collection.[55] On February 8, 2017, the brand will hold its ready-to-wear show in Los Angeles, in the first time the brand will not be part ofNew York Fashion Week.[56]
In January 2015, Hilfiger announced that he was working on his memoirs.[57] The book was written chronologically over a year, with Hilfiger explaining "I was hesitant to write it, but thought I better do it now because someday I may forget."[58] Co-writerPeter Knobler had full access to interview friends and family, with Hilfiger citing the candor ofDiane von Furstenberg's memoirs as an inspiration.[58] Calling the writing process "great therapy"[54] and "interesting,"[59] Hilfiger asserted that he "wanted to give people a sneak peek of what goes on behind the curtain [of] how the fashion industry works."[60] He read selections from the book in June 2016 at the Literacy Partners Evening of Readers and Gala Dinner Dance.[57]
Hilfiger's memoir,American Dreamer: My Life in Fashion & Business, co-written withPeter Knobler,[61] was published in November 2016.[61][62] In a statement, Hilfiger described it as "a roadmap of the moments that have defined both my [40-year fashion career] and my personal life,"[63][64] and the book covers his childhood, his early business ventures, and his later life in fashion.[61] WithKirkus Reviews calling it "an honest, straightforward, mostly entertaining autobiography,"[65] Hilfiger made an appearance for the book at theMiami Book Fair shortly after its release.[60]American Dreamer appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers List in December 2016[66]
In 1995, Hilfiger launched The Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation. With an emphasis on health, educational and cultural programs, the organization supports charities that focus on at-risk American youth.[67] In 1998[68] Hilfiger was one of several sponsors along withMoet and Chandon,Christie's Auction House, andThe Advocate of the charity LIFEbeat – The Music Industry Fights AIDS.[69] He is personally involved in charities and causes such asAutism Speaks and the MLK, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation,[28] and he has served on the board of directors forThe Fresh Air Fund, a New York-based group that helps underprivileged children attend summer camp.[28] The Fresh Air Fund's Camp Pioneer program was renamed Camp Tommy in 1999, in honor of Hilfiger's patronage.[70]
Since 2008, Hilfiger has designed limited-edition handbags in support Breast Health International (BHI), an international organization focused on finding a cure for breast cancer. A portion of the handbag sales proceeds is donated to BHI's Fund For Living program, with celebrity ambassadors appointed for each seasonal campaign. In 2013,Claudia Schiffer andNaomi Campbell modeled the BHI bag in a photoshoot with photographerPatrick Demarchelier.[71][72]
Millennium Promise, a non-profit organization focused on eradicating extreme poverty, hunger and preventable disease in impoverished regions, classifies Hilfiger as a Millennium Promise MDG Global Leader,[73] and in 2009 Hilfiger made a five-year $2 million commitment to Millennium Promise.[74] The donation went towards relief efforts in aUgandan city, with the aim of improving residents' access to necessities like clean water, education, and farming techniques.[75]
In 2012, all philanthropic activities of The Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation were renamed Tommy Cares, a wider-reaching global initiative that further integrates the brand's non-profit partnerships, charitable contributions, and employee involvement.[76] On a global scale, Tommy Cares continues to support organizations such asSave the Children, theWorld Wildlife Fund,War Child,[77] andMillennium Promise.[77] Hilfiger and his wife are on the board ofAutism Speaks as of 2012,[78] and through the organization, Hilfiger became a sponsor of theGolden Door Film Festival in September 2014.[79]
Hilfiger has continuously cited the important role inclusivity, diversity and self-expression have had in the brand's development and contributions topop culture.
In 2016, Hilfiger also echoed his support for dressingMelania Trump, tellingWWD that "any designer should be proud to dress her."
In 2020, Hilfiger sold his 22.4 acre estate in Greenwich, Connecticut, for $47.5 million.[80]
The following is a selected list of awards and recognitions for Tommy Hilfiger:
Hilfiger has been criticized for having manufactured clothes insweatshop conditions in the United States territory ofSaipan in theNorthern Mariana Islands.[85] As aU.S. Commonwealth, clothes made there can be labeled "Made in the USA", but federallabor laws, including theminimum wage, do not apply. In March 2000, the company, along with other defendants, settled a class action suit brought by Saipanese garment workers, which had alleged mistreatment by over 20 large U.S. clothing manufacturers.
While Hilfiger's earliest designs drew on1960s countercultureand fashion, since the 1980s his designs typically draw from classic AmericanNew Englandpreppy styles. His initial lines for theTommy Hilfiger Corporation were primarily designed to appeal to young men looking fordesigner clothing,[citation needed] and Tommy Hilfiger became one of the most prominent brands in 1990ssportswear, withPolo Ralph Lauren,Calvin Klein,Nautica,DKNY,[86] andDonna Karan also popular.[87] Each of these companies created distinctive wardrobes based upon stylish but wearable, comfortable and interchangeable multi-purpose clothes, all with a focus on luxury.[87]
Hip hop fashion at large began incorporating the Hilfiger brand in the 1990s,[86] and whenSnoop Dogg wore a Hilfigersweatshirt during an appearance onSaturday Night Live, it sold out of New York City stores the next day.[86] Moreover, Hilfiger courted the new hip hop market, and rappers likePuffy andCoolio walked during his runways shows.[86] Specific items like Tommy Hilfigercarpenter jeans became particularly popular, with the trademark logo displayed on the hammer loop.[86][better source needed]
Hilfiger continues to maintain multiple fashion lines, some focused on wearable "casual" clothes while others take on varioushaute couture commissions. Aside from the preppy styles of his youth, Hilfiger has also always been influenced by the style of a wide variety of American icons, includingGrace Kelly,[88]James Dean,Deborah Harry,Iggy Pop,Farrah Fawcett,Steve McQueen,Jackie andJohn F. Kennedy, andAndy Warhol.[89][90] Many of his designs draw prominently from the styles ofhard rock and thepop music industry.[3][4]
In 1976, Hilfiger met Susan Cirona, an employee at the People's Place inIthaca; they married in 1980.[citation needed] Together they had four children: one son and three daughters.[78][91] In 2003, Hilfiger's daughter Ally was part of the MTV reality seriesRich Girls. His son, Richard ("Ricky Hil" or "Rich Hil"), is arapper andmusician. They divorced in 2000.[citation needed]
On December 12, 2008, he marriedDee Ocleppo;[92] the couple had a son in 2009.[78]
| Yr | Book Title | Author(s) | Publisher | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | All-American | Hilfiger | Universe | ISBN 978-0789300508 |
| 2000 | Rock Style: A Book of Rock, Hip-Hop, R&B, Punk, Funk and the Fashions That Give Looks to Those Sounds | Hilfiger,Anthony DeCurtis | Universe | ISBN 978-0789303837 |
| 2003 | New England Style | Hilfiger, Anna Kasabian | Rizzoli | ISBN 978-0847825837 |
| 2004 | New England: Icons, Influences and Inspirations from the American Northeast | Hilfiger | Rizzoli | ISBN 978-0847826612 |
| 2007 | Grace Kelly: A Life In Pictures | Hilfiger (foreword), Pierre-Henri Verlhac | Pavilion | ISBN 978-1862057760 |
| 2009 | Fashion Etcetera: Tommy Hilfiger Special Edition | Hilfiger (foreword),Sam Haskins | Private release | ISBN 9789111187121 |
| 2010 | Tommy Hilfiger | Hilfiger, Assouline | Assouline | ISBN 978-2759403134 |
| 2011 | Iconic America: A Roller Coaster Ride Through the Eye-Popping Panorama of American Pop Culture | Hilfiger,George Lois | Rizzoli | ISBN 978-0789324054 |
| 2016 | American Dreamer: My Life in Fashion & Business | Hilfiger,Peter Knobler | Ballantine Books | ISBN 978-1101886212 |
| Yr | Title | Format | Publisher | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Frasier | Voice | NBC | As Robert |
| 2001 | Zoolander | Full-length film | VH1 Films | Cameo as himself[34] |
| 2005 | The Cut | Reality TV series | CBS | Main judge as himself[6] |
| 2008 | Tommy Hilfiger Presents Ironic Iconic America | Documentary film | Rizzoli | Co-host[44] |
| 2009 | Project Runway | Reality TV series | Lifetime | Guest judge onepisode 5[34] |
| 2012 | Project Runway: All Stars | Reality TV series | Lifetime | Guest judge onepisode 12[34] |
| 2012 | American Idol | Reality TV series | Fox | Fashion consultant[23] |
| 2016 | Zoolander 2 | Full-length film | Red Hour Films | Cameo as himself[34] |
| 2020 | Next In Fashion | Reality TV series | Netflix | Guest judge |
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