* Biography

Born: March 24, 1951
Birthplace: Elmira, New York
Best Known As: Fashion mogul with the blue-white-red rectangle logo


Tommy Hilfiger was the second of nine children. At 18 years old he decided to work in retail. In 1969 Hilfiger drove to New York City where he spent his life savings of $120 on 20 pairs of Landlubber jeans. "This is when his philosophy was first realized, in high school, opening up a store called People's Place." His goal was to bring big city fashion from New York and London to his local community in upstate New York. By the time he was 26, his store had expanded into a chain of seven stores, scattered throughout upstate New York and catering to the college campus crowds. Hilfiger went to design school and began designing clothes for his customers. After running his stores for ten years, the retail market went into an economic slump and he went bankrupt. In 1979 he moved to New York City withi his wife Susan Cirano, to pursue his career as a fashion designer.