Tommy Hilfiger's designs on India

Designer Tommy Hilfiger talks about his love affair with India as the brand celebrates its tenth year in the country

 

“India has a special place in my heart,” says ace fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger who is known across the globe for creating the classic cool American style. Dressed in a plain grey shirt, with his trademark professor glasses in place, Hilfiger is in India to celebrate the brand’s decade-long presence in the country. “I love the way Indian women drape the sari. I am often engulfed in a sea of salwar-kameez-clad women and men in kurta pyjamas in Chandni Chowk as they conduct business with ease. India is a country where you get to learn the art of life,” he says.

It was one such trip to old Delhi’s iconic market in the 1970s that started Hilfiger’s love affair with India.  And now he simply can’t leave Chandni Chowk without sampling food at Moti Mahal or without buying reams of fabrics that he takes back to his tailors to create a line of affordable luxury.  “And I’m obsessed with Bukhara food at the ITC Maurya, where I can devour anything tandoori,” smiles Hilfiger, reminding you a bit of the iconic artist Andy Warhol. In fact, Hilfiger and Warhol’s association goes back to the 1960s when they were introduced to one another by Mohan Murjani of the Murjani Group. “Both of us were to collaborate with artist Stephen Sprouse. We were almost there, but it just wasn’t meant to happen,” reminisces Hilfiger.

It was while partying with Warhol in New York, that Hilfiger came across a stimulating new wave of artists, photographers and filmmakers and realised that pop was the buzzword. “It was in places such as Studio 54, a swinging nightclub, where the best minds would converge,” he recalls.

Tommy Hilfiger

However, life has not always been a party for Hilfiger. Growing up in the small town of Elmira in New York, as one of the nine children, means and opportunities weren’t always readily available. “Being the oldest, I had to be the leader. We all had to start work early to help the family. Everyone did one’s bit despite differences in personalities and levels of understanding,” he says.

Hilfiger soon opened his first store, The People’s Place, in this nondescript town. But he tried to expand too early and was bankrupt by the age of 23. “Even at 18, I knew that I would build my own brand, even though I knew nothing about pattern making, design or manufacturing. I think it was the fire in my belly which made me work hard. But bankruptcy taught me the biggest lesson in business: never get ambitious without a solid plan,” says Hilfiger. Keeping this in mind, he taught himself how to draw and design. And now he is the founder of an international brand that is going to turn 30 next year.

During his journey in the world of fashion, he has seen styles evolve and change. For instance, when he came to India in 1979, he discovered that dress codes were very traditional. “But today, Indians are truly global fashion citizens. Unlike 10 years ago, when they would ask me, ‘Can you get us a pair of Nike shoes? Or those hoodies or jerseys.’ I knew it was time to launch the brand in India and offer them all the things they saw me wearing,” says Hilfiger, while adding that the youth in India is extremely sophisticated and in tune with the global community. “The young in New York, London, Paris and India listen to the same music and enjoy the same food, so there is really no difference,” he says.  

Besides hard work, Hilfiger rates luck as a factor in his success. “I have been around great people. Also, I knew that I had to focus on affordable luxury, something that is wearable, and we never wanted to make expensive couture. We could have gone the Zara and H & M way but we wanted to offer a great fit, good quality with an aspirational value. I was never interested in couture, it is an art form and very specific. I feel you have to be in Paris to excel in it,” he laughs.