Brand History - Tommy Hilfiger
With his signature red, blue and white logo and tag, Tommy Hilfiger created a high level of recognition in the 1990s that remains iconic to this day. But before founding the eponymous brand, the designer opened his first store called "People's Place" in his hometown of Elmira, New York State, in 1969. "People Place" sold "hippie items" such as records, bell-bottoms, candles and incense. Initially, the stores were successful and he was able to open as many as 7 stores throughout the region. However, in 1977 there was an economic turnaround and Hilfiger had to declare bankruptcy and close all stores.
The then young designer wanted to learn from this first failure. He began to work mostly freelance until he was contacted by Mohan Murjani, an established entrepreneur in the textile industry, in 1984. Murjani was looking for a designer for a new sportswear line and Hilfiger caught his eye. The two quickly came to an agreement and the Tommy Hilfiger brand was born. Murjani had the idea to reinvent the preppy look, dominated by Polo Ralph Lauren at the time, to appeal to a younger audience. The first Tommy Hilfiger collection then had its debut in the fall of 1985. What made the advertising campaign for the collection special was that no ads actually showed clothes, but either Tommy Hilfiger's face or logo alongside some statements declaring him the next big thing. This campaign worked so well that the brand really became what the ads predicted: the next big thing.
In the 1990s, the brand was able to further establish itself and grow exponentially. Tommy Hilfiger seemingly effortlessly brought the iconic 70's preppy look into the 90's and was able to really own the style! In addition to the new and fresh designs, the brand's success was also due to the iconic commercials and marketing campaigns. Thus, Tommy Hilfiger was one of the first brands to target hip hop and R&B artists such as Snoop Dogg, Aaliyah or Destiny's Child. There is also an iconic ad for Tommy Hilfiger jeans from 1998 with actors from the movie "The Faculty". You can read more about it here!
Snoop Dogg in a Tommy Hilfiger shirt
But as with so many streetwear brands that had their success in the 80s and 90s, Tommy Hilfiger quickly lost popularity with the beginning of the 21st century. But the brand was able to adapt comparatively quickly and was able to secure its relevance through exclusive deals and rebranding. Today, Tommy Hilfiger is back in vogue and virtually everyone knows the logo. In addition to regular clothes, the brand also offers jeans, sportswear, shoes, accessories, fragrances and more. In the field of vintage fashion, the brand has also become a real icon. You can find all of our vintage Tommy Hilfiger pieces here!
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