10 life lessons of the inimitable Tommy Hilfiger |Vogue Spain Largechevron Menu Close Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Pinterest Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gallery Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Pinterest Largechevron

In the Fashion Awards 2021, which will be delivered at the Royal Albert Hall in London next month, Tommy Hilfiger will receive the 'Outstanding Achievement' award to all his career, prestigious award who have also received designers like Miuccia Prada,Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld."I still have to pinch me," says the legendary American designer, in an interview with Vogue."It is an honor that included me in the Hall of Fame with so many other incredible talents".

Without formal design in design, Hilfiger opened his first business in the north of the state of New York, People's Place, at 18 years.A few years later, he launched his homonymous brand in the Big Apple and achieved fame for its American essence sports aesthetics.The 90s brought huge commercial success, since Hilfiger became one of the first designers to take advantage of the powerful support of celebrities, through famous followers such as Snoop Dogg, P Diddy, Coolio and Aaliyah (the playwrightJeremy or Harris recently paid tribute to a Tommy Hilfiger look that Aaliyah led, specifically in the Met Gala 2021, with a very particular waterproofing waterproof)."We started connecting with music in an important way, at a time when magazines only carried models on the covers," says Hilfiger.

At present, the Tommy Hilfiger brand is one of the most important in the world, with stores and stores in all the big cities.The designer continues to open new roads for firm, collaborating with the most popular celebrities: Zendaya, Gigi Hadid, Indya Moore and Lewis Hamilton, to name just a few."The idea was to contribute more talent to our brand and listen to influential people in the world of pop culture," says Hilfiger.

To celebrate his excellence award, Vogue has asked the designer to share the 10 life lessons that have helped him most on his way to success.

If it really is the dream of your life, you can build an empire in fashion with $ 150

"When I was a teenager, I was traveling to New York, five and a half hours from my house, to find the best clothes.When I put those garments to go to the institute, all my friends wanted to know where I had taken them, and that's when I decided that I had to open my own store.I started my business with $ 150 that I had saved working in a gas station ".

If you don't like something, turn it over and do it yours

"As a young man thought that pija clothes was boring, so I decided to make it more cool taking it oversize and colorful, and also combine it with sportswear.When I founded Tommy Hilfiger in 1985, the young people welcomed me right away because I did something different from what they already had seen.We were the first design brand to go over in the early 90s, and then we expanded around the world ".

Learning to please the consumer is vital to direct a business

“You can have the most famous name in the world, and incredible marketing and advertising, but if you don't have a good product that consumers like, there is no business.It can be beautiful on the outside, but if it doesn't fit them, it will never be sold.If it is too expensive, young people are not going to buy it.If you are not up to last, people leave ".

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Hunt the brightest stars before they shine completely

"We were making a parade in New York and the DJ told us that I couldn't, so my brother Andy introduced me to replace a group of girls.We dress them with boy clothes, because then we didn't make a woman fashion.Then I asked my brother who was the middle - who had an incredible voice - and he told me that he was called Beyoncé.We continue to contact her, and ended up being the face of our True Star fragrance ".

For a collaboration to succeed, you have to work as a team

"At the beginning of my career, one of my favorite projects was what I did with Aaliyah, because it was a truly collaboration.From there, I decided that we had to work with more people with different aesthetics.We brought Gigi Hadid, who had a southern style of California, very fresh and very American, and we let her design the clothes.We surrounded her with the right people to help her life to everything, and it was a resounding success.We did the same with Zendaya, Lewis Hamilton and Indya Moore.And more that will come ".

You never have to endanger the identity of the brand, but you have to be open to explore new roads

"When the hip hop community began using my clothes in the late 80s, the early 90With huge logos.Although at that time it seemed totally new, it was still the same pija base that it has now.I still use the same ingredients to keep the brand's DNA intact, but I always seek to update it ".

The future of fashion is in metaverso

"I love the digital world, I love how it evolves and I think that fashion will have an important role.Electronic commerce will continue here a long time, but I think you will acquire new forms.I am also developing my own video game and I participate as a partner in the development of avatars with EWG [Elite World Group] ".

To succeed you have to look to the future, but also to what surrounds us

"You always imagine having the success you would like to have, but I also learned by looking at other brands and designers.I am always attentive to what is happening in the fashion world, whether to see Balmain's parade or look at what someone like Demine Gvasalia does ".

Family life can be a source of inspiration

"My mind is always working, but I look for a balance with the family.My son is a musician;My daughter has her own brand;My other daughter is an artist;My stepson plays professional tennis;And they always influence me.I am interested in what they are wearing, which places go and where they travel ".

Contributing to society is as rewarding as success itself

"If you succeed to some degree, you must find a way to contribute, whether donating to the beneficial organization you like or helping disadvantaged young people.Within the organization Tommy Hilfiger, we are very generous, and I think everything comes from my mother, who raised nine children.Regardless of what you have, there are always people who have less than you and you should try to help ".

This article was originally published in Vogue.co.UK