173. “Our Archive is Our Goldmine” Tommy Hilfiger Podcast Exclusive

Create Tomorrow, The WGSN Podcast

In this episode, Tommy Hilfiger joins host Cassandra Napoli to discuss the delicate balance between maintaining a brand's iconic DNA and evo

Key takeaways

Tommy Hilfiger emphasizes that brands must evolve their proportions, such as the oversized fits planned for Spring 27, to remain relevant.
The 'FAMES' frameworkâFashion, Art, Music, Entertainment, and Sportsâis a key focus for staying culturally connected.
Gen Z is driving a shift away from coordinated magazine looks toward high-low, personalized, and rule-breaking styles.
Brand archives serve as a 'gold mine' for creating updated classics that tap into the current trend of nostalgia and sustainability.
Technology, specifically AI-driven checkouts and social media platforms like TikTok, is fundamentally reorienting the retail experience.

Main topics

Brand DNA and evolution
Gen Z fashion influences
The power of brand archives

Notable quotes

I would never do away with red, white, and blue.

Conclusion

The episode offers a profound look at how heritage brands can leverage

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:00) Way back when I started my own stores when I was a teenager, it was built around a community, people who love fashion and music. So we had a cafe in our store, we had a record shop, we had haircutting, we had all sorts of reasons for people to hang out. We sold concert tickets, concert t-shirts, and people would spend hours just... talking about what they were going to do the next weekend and where they were going and who they were going with and what they were going to wear and then buy the albums and buy the concert paraphernalia. I mean, it was building a community. So I think that those brands who are capable and smart enough to build community are doing it, and it is, I think, a very positive thing. Speaker 2 (1:01) That is Tommy Hilfiger, founder of his namesake lifestyle brand, Tommy Hilfiger. Hello and welcome to another episode of the Create Tomorrow podcast. I'm your host, Cassandra Napoli, head of consumer forecasting at WGSN. Every two weeks, I will take you on a journey to examine how trends are translated into aesthetics and product design. In this episode, Tommy and I explore how to design a brand for the future without losing sight of what made it iconic in its first place. We discuss staying culturally relevant without chasing trends, the changing meaning of Americana, and fashion's growing relationship Speaker 1 (1:35) with entertainment. Tommy, welcome to Speaker 2 (1:37) the Create Tomorrow podcast. So excited to have you here. You've obviously built one of the most recognizable fashion brands, but this is a podcast all about what comes next. With that said, you've lived through so many eras of fashion and culture. What comes next and where do you think we're going? Speaker 1 (1:53) What feels new to me is... I think the mix of creating something for yourself that is individual and really for your personality. So I think that as opposed to wearing an outfit that you might find in a magazine that is all coordinated, you might want to wear a little bit of high and low. And something that is both casual and dressy, something you'd wear out in the evening, but also wear to work in the daytime. So I think that there's maybe a change going on where people now have the freedom and the permission to dress any way they want to dress as opposed to listening to so-called experts. Speaker 2 (2:43) What do you think has accelerated that shift? Speaker 1 (2:47) I think Gen Z really doesn't care about listening to rules. And younger people really want to make their own rules. And that's completely understandable because why should you be dictated to? Speaker 2 (2:58) Tommy Hilfiger has obviously developed such recognizable design codes, but you've also allowed musicians, athletes, different generations to continually reinterpret the brand after so many years in business. What have you learned about what a brand should protect and what it has to be willing to let go of, particularly as it relates to courting this new generation of Gen Z? I Speaker 1 (3:21) think a brand has to hold on to its DNA, but it has to evolve and change. Otherwise, if you remain static, you could be out of business. So I like the idea that we are celebrating our classics and we are leaning into the DNA, but always twisting it and modernizing it with surprises. And in this particular season coming up for spring 27, we're making an oversized pitch to the consumer. And we know that they're embracing it already because what they're wearing and what they're pulling out of maybe vintage stores and wearing on the streets. But proportion is everything because we're taking classics and we're reproportioning them. We're remixing them. We're making them more modern, more relevant, and more new. Speaker 2 (4:11) Is there a design code that you would not touch ever that's classic Tommy Hilfiger? Speaker 1 (4:17) I would never do away with red, white, and blue. Speaker 2 (4:21) Perfectly said. You were bringing music, celebrity, fashion all together many, many years before brands really talked about that so-called term of cultural relevance. Today, I obviously don't need to tell you this, culture moves at breakneck speed. It's so difficult to keep up with it all. And there's actually enormous pressure on brands to really stay on top of those trends moving at pace. How do you stay culturally relevant without simply chasing the thought? Speaker 1 (4:49) I'm very curious. I really want to know what's going on in pop culture. And I'm really sort of focused on what I call FAMES, fashion, art, music, entertainment, and sports. So I think there's a real thing going on with fashion and sports. There's always been something with fashion and music, fashion and art, obviously, fashion and entertainment. Speaker 1 (5:15) I really believe that even with a fashion show, as opposed to just doing a fashion show, it's up to us to create fashiontainment and an experience that the viewers will never forget. Speaker 2 (5:29) You've watched the people who sort of dictate what's cool probably change throughout your career. If I were to ask you who dictates cool today, what would your response be? Speaker 1 (5:38)