Hilfiger Brings In Young Talent to Spruce Up Preppy Staples and Hires Peter Som!
On a recent weekday afternoon, Tommy Hilfiger was in his office clad in his signature warm-weather uniform: navy blazer, white shirt, crisp chinos and penny loafers, no socks. Only now, there was a crucial difference. Gone was the big, yacht-captain style, double-breasted blazer with brass buttons and baggy pleated khakis. The change mirrors a shift at his company. His recent runway collections are sleeker and more urbane than in the past. He credits the “specialists” he has tapped to rejuvenate his women’s and men’s runway collections.
In one of the more unusual relationships in the fashion industry, Mr. Hilfiger has hired two critically acclaimed younger designers, Peter Som in 2009, and last year Simon Spurr, as creative consultants. “It’s my formula. It’s my vision,” Mr. Hilfiger says. “But I wanted someone to come in who respects the vision but would want to maybe modernize it a bit.” The hires are part of Mr. Hilfiger’s broader effort to refresh his 26-year-old label’s image in the U.S., particularly among luxury consumers.
High-end shoppers are taking notice. Over-the-knee, high-heeled lace-up women’s duck boots Mr. Som dreamed up in collaboration with Mr. Hilfiger last year turned out to be one of the label’s most buzzed-about and sought-after items in years. The label’s retail prices have increased approximately 15% over the past two years. Net sales for the company’s products rose 14.5% in 2010. Critics are noticing, too. Tommy Hilfiger witnessed some of its most enthusiastic runway-show reviews in years since the two young designers came on board. Reviews noted the women’s clothes “felt luxurious and sophisticated in a new way” and the men’s line may have marked its best interpretation of preppy to date. Mr. Spurr, 36 years old, is one of three nominees for menswear designer of the year from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, whose awards ceremony takes place June 6.