*Birth Name: Thomas Jacob Hilfiger

*Born: March 25, 1951 in Elmira, NY of Irish, German and Swedish descent

*Attended Elmira Free Academy High School
– In his senior year he and a few friends each put in $125 to create a business selling jeans they remade

*Choose to open up his first retail store called The People’s Place instead of attend college

*After 7 years and at the age of 25, his store went bankrupt

*Self taught himself about commerce and building a business having a little budget

*Creates a team and acquires Jordache as a client, however departed after a year due to creative differences

*In 1984 meets an Indian entepeneur, Monan Marjani who hands pick Hilfiger to be the next international lifestyle designer

*With the ingenious marketing and management of Marjani, the Hilfiger line takes off modernizing the button down shirt and chinos
– also became notable for the use of the colors red, white and blue

*By 1990’s style became very popular amongst hip hop community and sales were close to $2 billion

*In early 2000 sales began to plunge, by 75%, his brand was no longer popular

*In 2006 the company was sold for $1.6 billion to a private investment company,  Apax Partners

*By 2007 Hilfiger had regrouped the brand name making it profitable again and selling exclusively to Macy’s

*Company was sold again for $3 billion to a clothing conglomerate,  Phillips-Van Heusen
– Tommy Hilfiger continues to lead as head designer of co.

*Today the Tommy Hilfiger is a brand consisting of both men, women and children’s apparel, shoes, fragrance,  sporting and home goods
company net worth is nearly $5 billion w/over 1200 stores

Did You Know:

*Hilfiger turned down positions to work for both Calvin Klein and Perry Ellis

*Went undiagnosed as a child for dyslexia

*Received the Council of Fashion Design of America for 1995 and 2012

www.biography.com/businessoffashion.com/Photo- Badische Zeitung