Thomas hilfiger biography

1. Tommy Hilfiger: American Fashion Icon
2. Founding Tommy Hilfiger Corporation:
3. Expansion and Success:
4. Diversification and Philanthropy:

Tommy Hilfiger: American Fashion Icon

Born and raised in New York City, Tommy Hilfiger was the second of nine children.

He struggled to play football because of his small body. His daughter Ally featured in reality TV show Rich Girls, and his son Richard has released hip-hop tracks under the name Ricky Hil.

(1951-)

Who Is Tommy Hilfiger?

Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger has built his brand, using his signature red, white and blue tag, which has become popular among the upper class and the casual buyer.

Brand development

Following his hugely successful start in the 80s and early 90s, Tommy expanded into womenswear, childrenswear, fragrances and home collections, and the label has been associated with a host of stars, including David Bowie, Beyonce and Enrique Iglesias. "The large logos and the big red, white and blue theme became ubiquitous," Hilfiger said.

He started the Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation in 1995 that focused efforts primarily on troubled youth. He has also sponsored many different organizations relating to a variety of different causes such as ages or underprivileged children.

Tommy Hilfiger has even gone as far as to design for the Breast Health International organization. In addition to all this, Tommy, his brand, and foundation have gone to great lengths to support and promote charity.

After training and working with several different labels and securing backing for his own ideas, in 1985 he founded the Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, and the legend was born. Though Hilfiger was embarrassed by the fallout, the bold tactics worked. The pair married in December 2008 and welcomed a son in 2009. He went on to create 20th Century Survival and a women's line titled Click Point.

Around the same time as the birth of his first child, Tommy accepted a position with Calvin Klein to gain some employment stability.

Tommy Hilfiger attended Elmira Free Academy in high school, where he was neither a star athlete (he was so small, he had to sneak 15-pound weights in his pockets to get on the football team) or student (he suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia).

First Entrepreneurial Venture

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

In ranking him in the same league as established designers, Ralph Lauren, Perry Ellis and Calvin Klein, Tommy's advertisement caused controversy in the fashion world which in turn brought great publicity for his first collection. It wasn't until 1984, when he was approached to design a men's sportswear line with his name that he took off into the stratosphere of fame and fashion.

Early Life

Tommy Hilfiger was born on March 24, 1951, in Elmira, New York, the second of nine children in a working class Irish-American family.

Currently, Tommy Hilfiger is still lead designed through his company and brand and is considered to be one of the most renowned and successful designers the world has seen.

Charitable contributions 

Since some of the relatively early stages of his success, Tommy Hilfiger has done several different variations of charity with and without his brand.

"The next Ralph Lauren or Calvin Klein."

Their tactics rankled the fashion establishment, which looked down on Hilfiger's naked self-promotion-Calvin Klein even got into a shouting match with the billboard's creator at a New York City restaurant. Additionally, Tommy himself would take part in at home clothing alterations to the point that he would sell them to make a profit.

In 2016, he took his "classic American cool" looks in a new direction. In 2000, he and his wife filed for divorce. Before making his immensely popular product, he opened several stores in the 1970s. The pair announced Hilfiger's arrival onto the scene with a blitz marketing campaign that included a bold billboard in New York City's Times Square announcing Hilfiger as the next big thing in American fashion.