10 life lessons from the inimitable Tommy Hilfiger

Source: Vogue

Ahead of being presented with the Outstanding Achievement accolade at the 2021 Fashion Awards, the legendary American designer opened up to Vogue about the milestones that have shaped his illustrious career

BY ALEX KESSLER

At the 2021 Fashion Awards at London’s Royal Albert Hall next month, Tommy Hilfiger will be presented with the Outstanding Achievement Award, a prestigious accolade that has also been handed to the likes of Miuccia Prada, Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld. “I’m certainly pinching myself,” the legendary American designer tells Vogue. “It’s an honour to be included in a hall of fame with so many other incredible talents.”

With no formal design experience, Hilfiger opened his first business in upstate New York, People’s Place, at the age of 18. A few years later, he launched his eponymous label in New York, and went on to become renowned for his preppy, American sportswear aesthetic. The ’90s brought enormous commercial success, as Hilfiger became one of the first designers to tap into the power of a celebrity endorsement, via famous fans like Snoop Dogg, P Diddy, Coolio and Aaliyah. (The playwright Jeremy O Harris recently paid tribute to an Aaliyah Tommy Hilfiger look in a custom puffer coat at the 2021 Met Gala). “We began to connect with music in a major way,” explains Hilfiger, “at a time when magazines were only using models as cover shots.”

Fast forward to now, and the Tommy Hilfiger brand is one of the most prominent in the world, with flagships and stockists in every major city. Hilfiger continues to forge new paths for his label, collaborating with some of the buzziest celebrity names: Zendaya, Gigi Hadid, Indya Moore and Lewis Hamilton, to name a few. “The idea was that we bring brain power into our brand, and listen to people who were influential in the world of pop culture,” says Hilfiger.

To celebrate his Outstanding Achievement award, Vogue asked the designer to share the 10 life lessons that helped him on the road to success.

If it’s truly your life’s dream, you can start a fashion empire with $150

“When I was a young teen, I would take a trip into New York City, five and a half hours from my home, to find great clothes. When I wore them to school, all of my friends wanted to know where I was getting everything, so at that point in time, I decided I should open my own shop. I started my business with $150 that I’d saved from working at a gas station.”

Don’t like something? Turn it on its head and make it your own

“Growing up, I thought preppy clothes were boring, so I decided to make them cool by making them oversized and colourful, as well as marrying them with sportswear. When I started Tommy Hilfiger in 1985, I was embraced by the youth right away, because I was doing something different to what they had seen before. We were the first designer label to go public in the early ’90s, and then we expanded all over the world.”

Learning how to please the consumer is vital to running a business

“You can have the most famous name in the world, as well as incredible marketing and advertising, but if you don’t have a great product that consumers want, you’re out of business. It’s got to look great, but if it doesn’t fit well, it will never sell. If it’s too expensive, then young people won’t buy it. If you are not on trend, people will move on.”

Clock the brightest stars before they really shine

“We were doing a show in New York and our DJ cancelled, so my brother Andy introduced me to an all-girl music group to perform instead. We dressed them in boys’ clothes, because we didn’t have womenswear at the time, and afterwards I asked my brother who the one in the middle was — who had the most incredible voice — and he said to me that her name was Beyoncé. We formed a relationship with her, and eventually she became the face of our True Star fragrance.”

For a collaboration to be successful, it has to truly be a team effort

“At the start of my career, one of my favourite projects was with Aaliyah, because it was really a collaboration. From then, I decided we should work with more people with distinct aesthetics. We brought in Gigi Hadid, who had a Southern California style and a fresh all-American look, and we actually let her design the clothes. We surrounded her with the right people who helped bring it to life, and that was a huge success. We did the same with Zendaya, Lewis Hamilton and Indya Moore. Plus more to come.”

Never compromise on brand identity, but be open to exploring new avenues

“When the hip hop community started wearing my clothes in the late ’80s, early ’90s, I was really the first to do streetwear, and people didn’t know what to make of it because it was oversized and bright, with enormous logos. Even though it felt entirely new at the time, it still had a preppy backbone to it, which it still does. I continually use the same ingredients to keep the brand DNA intact, but [I’m] always looking to make it fresh.”

The future of fashion is in the metaverse

“I love the digital world — I’m obsessed with where it is going and I think fashion will be an important part of it. E-commerce will be here for a very long time, but I think there are new ways that it can exist. I’m also developing my own video game, and I’m a partner in developing avatars with the EWG [Elite World Group].”

To be successful you have to look ahead, but also at what’s around

“Always picture yourself being as successful as you want to be, but I also learned from looking at other brands and designers. I’m always watching what’s going on in the world of fashion, whether it’s watching the Balmain show or looking at somebody like Demna Gvasalia.”

Your family life can be a source of inspiration

“My mind is constantly working, but I find a balance with my family. My son is a musician; my daughter has her own brand; my other daughter is an artist; my stepson plays professional tennis; and they’re always influencing me. I’m interested in what they’re wearing, where they’re going, and where they’re travelling to.”

Giving back is just as rewarding as success itself

“If you have any sort of success, you should find a way to give back, whether it is to your favourite charity or helping young people in need. We’re an incredibly generous group within the Tommy Hilfiger organisation, and I believe it all came from my mother who brought up nine children. Regardless of how much you have, there are people who have less than you and you should try to help.”