People of Interest

Selling Of American Style: TOMMY HILFIGER
Marla E. Schwart

There is no American fashion designer more American in style than the creator of the red, white, and blue rectangular, Tommy Hilfiger.

At a recent Men’s Style event at Macy’s in the Dadeland Mall, Hilfiger greeted his fans with a fashion show of his classic all-American look.
A look that began with chinos and came to embrace the stylish use of chambray shirts, knit polo shirts, jeans and many other wardrobe
essentials. Hilfiger has been at this game for a long time and doesn’t show any signs of slowing down as a relevant player in the fashion world. “There’s no secret to being relevant,” Hilfiger explains. “It’s a lot of hard work and it’s always being aware of what all your ompetition is doing.” “It’s about having the drive and never giving
up even though many times you hit obstacles.

You have to figure out how to keep going. It’s also passion along with the drive that continues the momentum,” he explained. “In this business everything is changing all the time. No two seasons, stores or customers are alike so it’s really exciting - but it’s no secret that it’s hard work.”

The reason his iconic status never wavers is because of his attitude toward his creations as being “timeless classics you can have fun with,” Hilfiger said. “Cool, American classics … always with a twist.”

Hilfiger began working in retail when he was 18 and it was a perfect fit. He traveled to New York City to buy bell bottom jeans which he customized and resold at a store called Brown’s in his hometown. The jeans were a hit. He was a hit. Eventually Hilfiger opened a store called The People’s Place which was successful.

But things went sour when a mall opened in a nearby town and patrons began leaving the downtown area to do their shopping … something that was happening all over America at the time. This sent his business into bankrupcty. But at the age of 25, this wasn’t the end for him, as his perserverance paid off.

He moved to NYC and eventually founded the Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, with support from The Murjani Group, which went public in 1992, introducing his signature menswear collection. By 2004 the company had 5,400 employees and revenues in excess of $1.8 billion. Hilfiger was named Menswear Designer of the Year.

In 2006, Hilfiger sold his company for $1.6 billion to Apax Partners a private investment company. However, don’t think that he’s not involved in every aspect of the company.

In fact, Hilfiger and his second wife, Dee Ocleppo, spend a great deal of time in Miami. They bring along their baby boy, as Hilfiger is very involved with his two-story freestanding South Beach store at 616 Collins Avenue. The debut of this store a little over a year ago marks the company's second South Florida location and ninth freestanding Tommy Hilfiger retail space in the United States.

Hilfiger has made it a point to guarantee that both of his Miami stores stay true to the expectations of his customers. One can see in the way Hilfiger addresses audience members that the main goal for him is making sure every customer is satisfied. And because Florida’s climate can be harsh on one’s clothing, he does
offer an an opinion on how to dress for living in The Sunshine State. He presented a fashion show while describing the importance of what every south Floridian male should have in his closet.

“Everybody needs a great pair of premium jeans. And a pair of chinos. Chino’s can be used as a pair of jeans. And a pair of fun shorts is essential for Miami’s climate,” Hilfiger explained. “Of course, you need great polo shirts – make sure they’re the shirts with the flag and not the horse. And you need a great navy blazer, a great
buttoned down shirt, a light-weight v-necked sweater, and you can mix all of that up. These are items I have in my wardrobe.”

Hilfiger strongly believes it’s important to keep looking ahead and not backward in order to remain pertinent in the constantly changing world of fashion. He is a man who loves what he does and can sell what he does better than anybody else in the world.