Tommy Hilfiger: The Brand
By any other name would be…

Elle, 7th May 2007

American pie
From apparel to watches, fragrances and bed linen, there’s little that Tommy Hilfiger hasn’t designed. ELLE caught up with the stars-and-stripes designer to talk movie-making, a possible collaboration with Giorgio Armani, and the controversial comment he never made!

If you were to introduce an element of Indian design in your clothes, what would it be?
Colours. Rajasthani colours

What makes great denims?
Great fabric. Great fit. Great wash.

Tommy Hilfiger – the brand – by any other name would be…
Tommy Hill.

Why?
It’s easy to pronounce.

Rock iconography has played an integral part in the design of your brand. Which are your favourite rock bands?
The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.

If not designing, you would be…
Directing dramatic movies.

A movie that inspires you?
Out of Africa.

You’re obsessive about wearing?
Casual clothes for comfort reasons.

A designer you admire and would like to collaborate with?
Giorgio Armani. I would think very seriously about collaboration; it’s very possible Also Karl Lagerfeld.

If you were to dedicate an entire collection to an icon, who would that be? And why?
Martin Luther King. He fulfilled a dream and made us all think about our lives very seriously.

Do you think fashion should have a social conscience?
We donate a lot of money to research diseases like multiple sclerosis and breast cancer. We’ve also been helping children from the ghettos of New York to go to summer camps. I made use of my design sensibility to make money so I could give it to those who needed it.

Any message for people reading this?
I just want to say that I’ve never made any racist comments. My close friends are Quincy Jones, P Diddy and Oprah Winfrey. Those stupid rumours were so ridiculous!

That must happen often – being misquoted.
People misquote others all the time. While some believe fiction, the more intelligent ones know otherwise. If I were to make an announcement to the world, I would say, “If you’ve heard this rumour, it’s untrue”.