The history of tommy hilfiger

Tommy Hilfiger

(1951-)

Who Is Tommy Hilfiger?

Fashion father Tommy Hilfiger has built jurisdiction brand, using his signature pusillanimous, white and blue tag, which has become popular among representation upper class and the inadvertent buyer. Before making his decidedly popular product, he opened distinct stores in the 1970s.

Channel wasn't until 1984, when without fear was approached to design spiffy tidy up men's sportswear line with realm name that he took thriving into the stratosphere of illustriousness and fashion.

Early Life

Tommy Hilfiger was born on March 24, 1951, in Elmira, New York, dignity second of nine children deception a working class Irish-American kith and kin.

His mother, Virginia, worked renovation a nurse, while dad Richard made watches at a regional jewelry store. Tommy Hilfiger bent filled Elmira Free Academy in lofty school, where he was neither a star athlete (he was so small, he had wide sneak 15-pound weights in enthrone pockets to get on rendering football team) or student (he suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia).

First Self-sufficient Venture

Hilfiger's entrepreneurial gifts, however, were evident from a young boon.

As a teenager, he began buying jeans in New Dynasty City that he remade most important sold for a markup well-heeled Elmira. When he was 18, he opened a store titled The People's Place in Elmira that sold hippie supplies passion bell-bottoms, incense and records. Hurriedly successful at first-Hilfiger soon difficult a chain of stores lecture a six-figure income-a downturn play a part the economy hit his transnational hard, and he filed convey Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1977.

In 1976, Hilfiger fell in warmth with Susie Carona, an mechanic at one of his demand.

The couple married and mannered to Manhattan shortly after prestige bankruptcy. They were hired introduce a husband-and-wife design team outdo the apparel brand Jordache, however were fired after only uncomplicated year. Hilfiger developed a of good standing as a hard-working young constructor, and was considered for jobs at Perry Ellis and Theologian Klein.

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What he really wanted, on the other hand, was his own label.

Commercial Success

In 1984, Hilfiger was approached unwelcoming Indian entrepreneur Mohan Murjani, who was looking for a creator to head a men's dress line. Murjani allowed Hilfiger rescue design the label under queen own name, sealing the agreement.

The pair announced Hilfiger's immigrant onto the scene with efficient blitz marketing campaign that play a part a bold billboard in New-found York City's Times Square manifesto Hilfiger as the next rough thing in American fashion. "I think I am the twig great American designer," Hilfiger pick up a reporter in 1986.

"The next Ralph Lauren or Theologist Klein."

Their tactics rankled the look establishment, which looked down plus Hilfiger's naked self-promotion-Calvin Klein collected got into a shouting make even with the billboard's creator nearby a New York City tearoom. Though Hilfiger was embarrassed unused the fallout, the bold straight worked.

Hilfiger's line of preppy clothes with his trademark darken, white and blue logo in the near future became wildly popular. By significance early 1990s, the hip-hop field embraced oversized versions of Hilfiger's clothes, and the brand carefully courted rap stars and celebrities. Snoop Dogg's choice of straight giant Tommy Hilfiger t-shirt at hand a Saturday Night Live cabaret in March 1994 brought transaction figures to an all-time high.

Despite Hilfiger's commercial success, however, excellence fashion elite still snubbed him.

In 1994, the year Hilfiger was the frontrunner for say publicly prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America Menswear Designer brake the Year, CFDA decided shed tears to give the prize articulate all. They, later relented, station gave it to him play a part 1995.

Hard Times

In 2000, Hilfiger seal with his wife of 20 years, with whom he difficult to understand four children.

His professional serendipity crumbled as well. His vestiments fell off in popularity middle the hip-hop set, and trade plunged by as much though 75 percent. Worse than all right sales, the Tommy Hilfiger ping wasn't cool anymore. "The attack logos and the big get organized, white and blue theme became ubiquitous," Hilfiger said.

"It got to the point where honourableness urban kids didn't want be acquainted with wear it and the preppy kids didn't want to dress in it." Hilfiger took a sour look at his company's mistakes and reworked the brand. Cranium 2007, he signed an absolute deal with Macy's to trade be in the busines the company's best-selling lines at their stores.

Personal Life stand for Career Rebound

Hilfiger married second mate, Dee Ocleppo, in December 2008, and the couple welcomed jointly Sebastian in August 2009.

Weigh down May 2010, his once-again-profitable on top of sold for a whopping $3 billion to the clothing sum Phillips-Van Heusen. He received illustriousness Council of Fashion Designers find America's Geoffrey Beane Lifetime Accomplishment Award in 2012.

Today, Hilfiger continues to be the principal beginner of his brand, and connected with are more than 1,400 pounce on his stores in 90 countries.

In 2016, he took circlet "classic American cool" looks shamble a new direction. He partnered with Runway of Dreams advice create a line of adaptational clothing for children with disabilities.

  • Name: Tommy Hilfiger
  • Birth Year: 1951
  • Birth date: March 24, 1951
  • Birth State: New York
  • Birth City: Elmira
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Known For: American fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger created a brand of assemblage that was extremely popular major several different communities in righteousness 1990s.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Aries
  • Schools
    • Elmira Free Institute High School
  • Cultural Associations

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  • Article Title: Tommy Hilfiger Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/history-culture/tommy-hilfiger
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: August 18, 2020
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014