Tommy Hilfiger is an American fashion designer and the founder of Tommy Hilfiger Corporation. After starting his career by co-founding a chain of jeans/fashion stores called People’s Place in upstate New York in the 1970s, he began designing preppy clothing for his own eponymous menswear line in the 1980s. The company later expanded into women’s clothing and various luxury items such as perfumes and in 1992, went public. In 2012, Hilfiger was awarded the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Birth Name
Thomas Jacob Hilfiger
Nickname
Tommy
Profession
Fashion Designer
Nationality
American
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Tommy Hilfiger was born on 24th March 1951, in Elmira, New York, United States.
Age
He is currently 72 years old.
Sun Sign
Aries
Ethnicity
White Caucasian
His father was of Dutch, German and possibly Swiss descent.
Religion
He is a non-religious person now but was raised, Catholic Christian.
Education
In 1970, Tommy graduated from Elmira Free Academy High School. He was a below average student in school who failed his sophomore year (10th Grade) and had to repeat it. It was diagnosed much later that Tommy was dyslexic. Since his parents wanted him to pursue a college education, he studied at the Bush Campus in Elmira affiliated to the Great Southern Tier Board of Cooperative Educational Services (GST BOCES) for a brief period.
Family Details
- Father – Richard C. Hilfiger (Watchmaker, Jeweler)
- Mother – Virginia F. Gerrity (Nurse)
- Siblings – Kathy Hilfiger (Older Sister) (Decorator), Susie Hilfiger (Younger Sister) (Registered Nurse), Betsy Hilfiger (Younger Sister) (Former Nurse, Director of Community Affairs for Tommy Hilfiger Corporate), Andy Hilfiger (Younger Brother) (Musician, Fashion Designer), Ginny Hilfiger (Younger Sister) (Fashion Designer), Bobby Hilfiger (Younger Brother) (Former Stonemason, Business Owner), Billy Hilfiger (Younger Brother) (Guitarist), Dee Dee Hilfiger (Younger Sister) (Registered Nurse).
Marital Status
Married
Girlfriend / Spouse
Tommy Hilfiger has dated –
- Susan Cirona aka Susie (1976–2000) – In 1976, Tommy met Susan, there was an instant attraction between them. Tommy frequently mentioned that Susie was a great partner because she supported his dreams and vision. In September 1980, the couple got married and in July 2000, divorced 20 years later. It is widely speculated that the breakdown of their marriage was caused by Susie’s dislike of all the attention and limelight brought about by Tommy’s work and her subsequent inability to socialize. The couple lost their first child due to Susie’s ectopic pregnancy. Thereafter, they had 4 children named: Alexandria aka Ally Hilfiger, Richard James Hilfiger aka Rapper Rich Hil, Fashion Designer and Streetwear Clothing Owner, Elizabeth Hilfiger and Kathleen Hilfiger who was diagnosed with Autism.
- Elizabeth Somerby – Hilfiger had another casual relationship with a paralegal from Stamford, Connecticut that fizzled out after some time.
- Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger (2008–Present) – In 2008, Tommy married Dee Ocleppo. Together, they have a child.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 8 inches
- In centimeters – 173 cm
- In meters – 1.73 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 67 kg
- In Pounds – 148 lbs
Body Build
Slim
Eye Color
Blue
Hair Color
Between Dark Blonde and Brown (Natural)
His hair has now turned gray.
Shoe Size
He wears a size 9.5 (US) shoe.
Sexuality
Straight.
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Tommy became known as a American fashion designer. He started the clothing and lifestyle brand Tommy Hilfiger Corporation. In 1992, his company was a public limited company. But, in 2006, he sold his brand to Apex Partners for $1.6 billion. But, he remained in touch with the company in the form of principal designer for Tommy Hilfiger Corporation. His company was re-sold to Phillips-Van Heusen for $3 billion.
Tommy Hilfiger Net worth
Tommy Hilfiger has an estimated net worth of $450 million dollars as of 2023.
Social Media Profiles
- Instagram – tommyhilfiger
- Twitter – Tommy Hilfiger
Some Lesser Known Facts About Tommy Hilfiger
- Tommy was born as Thomas Jacob Hilfiger in Elmira, New York, to jeweler Richard and nurse Virginia. He was the second born of nine children and was raised a Catholic.
- He started working at the age of 9, first as a newspaper boy and then started mowing lawns. Then, he bought his own clothes as well as helped his brothers with money.
- Tommy wanted to become an NFL player, but his football coach advised that the sport wasn’t right for him because he merely weighed 120 lbs in freshman year as opposed to near 200 lbs of body weight of other players.
- He began his designing career at the age of eighteen by reworking jeans and selling them to local stores.
- In 1981, he attempted to design women’s clothing under the labels 20th Century Survival, Click-Point and Tat-Too which were not commercially successful.
- In 1991, Dave Matthews came up with the idea of forming Dave Matthews Band the members of the band LeRoi Moore, Stefan Lessard, Carter Beauford, and Peter Grieser.
- In 1995, the Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation was established with the goal of enhancing the lives of young people through education and cultural initiatives.
- He is a Breast Health International member, a charitable group aiming at seeking alternatives to breast cancer.
- In 1998, he gave the late singer Aaliyah an endorsement deal to promote his brand.
- Hilfiger continues to be his brand’s chief designer today, and there are over 1,400 of his outlets in 90 countries.
- On November 1, 2016, his memoir titled American Dreamer co-written with writer Peter Knobler was released which made it to the New York Times Best Sellers list in December 2016.
- In October 2022, Tommy was honored with the “John B. Fairchild Honor for Lifetime Achievement” award at the 2022 WWD Honors Awards.
