Tommy Hilfiger may design classic all-American clothes, but he just discovered Hunter rain boots.
On Friday, at the inaugural Wharton Retail Conference, Hilfiger, fashion designer, founder of Tommy Hilfiger Corporation and keynote speaker, walked in wearing Hunter rain boots. “My daughter who is 16 told me I needed rubber boots,” he said.
Hilfiger spoke of his journey in the fashion industry at the retail conference, sponsored by the Jay H. Baker Retailing Initiative and the Wharton Fashion and Luxury Industries Club.
Hilfiger said he began in fashion at age 18, when he opened a store selling bell-bottom jeans. He also started sketching and making clothes.
Although he began college at his parent’s request, Hilfiger dropped out to focus on his store business. Within a few years he had to file for bankruptcy. “I was 23 years old, [and] that was my college education … I regret it to this day but it was the largest learning experience I ever went through.”
He said after moving to New York City he still wasn’t successful, but as Hilfiger told the audience, “the moral of this story … is that you never give up. You keep going.”
Hilfiger accounted his success to designing clothes that did not aim to directly compete with other designers. “When they zig, I had to zag. I had to do something different,” he said.
Hilfiger said he went back to his roots and redesigned the preppy clothes he wore growing up.
His message was to stay on course and “never veer from who you are.” He also advised students to “watch the business part of the business all the time, always zig while your competition is zagging, and be loyal to the consumer.”
Students appreciated Hilfiger’s genuineness. Wharton MBA student Tom Ellis said, “I thought he was very honest, authentic, sincere and great. He focused on so many of the lessons he learned. He gave his authentic story instead of a PR speech.”
Lindsey Rhoads, conference co-chairwoman and Wharton MBA student, said, “The event was a resounding success. … The feedback we received from attendees and panelists was overwhelmingly positive, and we believe this conference will be the first of many to come.”
In addition to Hilfiger, the conference included panels on e-commerce, manufacturing and entrepreneurship, featuring professionals from the retail industry including Allen Questrom, Tony Capasso, Mary Norton, Jay McCarroll and Max Brenner.
