The "democratic luxury" legend of American collegiate style
Tommy Hilfiger was born in 1951 and founded the eponymous brand in New York in 1985. The brand is known for its preppy style: striped shirts, polo shirts, khaki pants, and baseball jackets, with bright colors and prominent logos.

The brand's rise was driven by precise marketing: in the 1990s, it targeted hip-hop culture and sponsored rappers like Tupac and Snoop Dogg, bringing preppy style to the streets and appealing to both high and low society, resulting in a sharp increase in sales. It went public in 1992 and became the second-largest casual brand globally by 2000, with annual revenue exceeding 2 billion US dollars.

Fun fact: In the 1990s, Tommy Hilfiger was named "America's Coolest Designer" by Fortune, but was criticized early on for "copying Ralph Lauren". Tommy responded, "I sell preppy style that everyone can afford." After 2000, the brand aged, and in 2006, it was acquired by a private equity firm, shifting towards a younger and more international image. It signed supermodels like Gigi Hadid to reattract the Z generation. Today, it remains a representative of American preppy style and is highly popular in Europe and Asia, being the preferred light luxury choice for the middle class and young professionals.