Tommy Hilfiger

In 1992, the company made a public offering on the New York Stock Exchange at $15 a share, which proved to be to their advantage. Within a few months, the stock was selling at $25 and Hilfiger continued to excel in the stock market. These earnings allowed for the company to expand into in store shops and develop new outlet stores. "There were close to 500 Tommy Hilfiger sections within department stores by the mid-1990's. About half of the company's revenues came from sales at major department store chains. Another 15 percent of sales came from the discount chains which sold the outdated stock at lower prices." In addition, Hilfiger began opening its own freestanding shops as well. 

"No longer limited to his men's line, the mid-to late 1990's Hilfiger began expanding clothing lines to include products for women, children, and teenagers. His company also manufactured its own clothing and was able to keep marketing and distribution costs down. Because of this, Hilfiger was able to offer high quality clothing, comparable to Polo, but at prices more accessible to the American public. He also  added a range of accessories, bedding, and other home furnishings, cosmetics, and fragrances. Many of these additional product offerings were made possible through licensing agreements. For example, Tommy and Tommy Girl colognes were manufactured by Aramis, to whom he licensed the Tommy Hilfiger name."

"Hilfiger kept his hand in promoting his designs as well. He hosted fashion shows and autograph sessions, and conducted briefings for sales personnel via satellite. He educated retailers about Hilfiger products and how to display them. Hilfiger also solicited feedback directly from consumers and used that to influence future clothing lines. He was quick to incorporate changes to make his line attractive to teens, African Americans, and Hispanics. Noticing that these young people liked to wear oversized clothes, Hilfiger designed garments in 'extra-extra-extra' large sizes. (A trend evoked within the Hip Hop community) Billed as a "cross over" artist, Hilfiger's designs were seen on everyone from Bill Clinton to Snoop Doggy to the Spice Girls." 

"Tommy Hilfiger has been referred to as the Ralph Lauren of a new generation, but he has clearly come unto his own in the world of fashion. With successful lines of men'sclothing, women's clothing, home furnishings, and a unisex fragrance, Hilfiger becaem the fashion guru of the 1990's and the biggest thing to hit the fashion industry in a decade. An enticement to a wide variety of consumers, his designs are casual while his prices remain moderate. Hilfiger's most praiseworthy achievement, however is his brand execution. Alan Millstein, editor of The Fashion Network Report trade magazine, described the method behind Hilfiger's success to USA Today: 'It's a combination of great marketing, merchandising, and hype." 

An All American Look:

"Although he is not readily acknowledged as a true designer, Hilfiger is incessantly compared to fellow American designers Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren. He has admitted to redesigning and updating clothes rather than creating brand new fashions... " 

Minneapolis Star Tribune wrote, "His clothes are classic, comfortable, high quality garb that appeals to young and old and are priced in the upper-moderate range. It's really that simple. Hilfiger consciously eschews the virtuoso fashion-designer image, following the lead of mainstream retail stores like The Gap and Banana Republic, which provide stylish, well-made clothing at reasonable prices."