Tommy Hilfiger: Quick History

Learn everything you ever wanted to know about Tommy Hilfiger. Tommy Hilfiger is probably one of the most easily recognized designer labels around today. The Tommy Hilfiger Group has been delivering quality and value along with superior styling to consumers worldwide since 1985.

Thomas Jacob Hilfiger was born on March 24, 1951, in Elmira, New York. He was the second of nine children. In 1969, while still in high school, Tommy Hilfiger opened a small chain of stores called People's Place. Hilfiger wanted to bring fashion from New York City and London to his own community. He began designing clothes for his customers that they could not find elsewhere. He moved to New York City in 1979 to pursue a career as a fashion designer. 

Tommy Hilfiger founded the Tommy Hilfiger Corporation in 1984 and premiered his first collection in 1985 with the help of businessman Mohan Murjani. Since the debut of his sportswear collection for men, Tommy Hilfiger has expanded to include clothing and shoes for men, women and children, swim wear, fragrances, accessories and products for the home such as bedding and luggage. His designs focus on giving American classics a fresh, cool look to appeal to modern consumers.  

The company went public in 1992 and reached the peak of it's popularity in the mid to late 1990's. In 2006, Tommy Hilfiger sold his company to Apax Partners, a private investment company. Phillips-Van Heusen, the owner of Calvin Klein, bought the Tommy Hilfiger corporation in March of 2010 for approximately $3 billion dollars. Tommy Hilfiger continues to be one of the top lifestyle brands in the world with over 900 stores worldwide.

Resources:

Tommy Biography

Forbes Magazine