Tommy HilfigerBorn:- 1952Born in Elmira, New York, USA. Hilfiger's name dominates his streetwise sportswear and turns his customers into advertisements. The distinctive red, white and blue came about when he noticed that counterfeiters were taking the discreet insignia of his competitors and enlarging them on t-shirts and caps. It was effortless advertising. Thus Hilfiger sold the idea back to those who invented and bought it. He started producing his logo-aware designs and was soon being name-checked in hip-hop songs - and worn by those who listen to them. In the 1970s Hilfiger's New York shop, Peoples Place, became a celebrity draw. In the 1980s his clothing assumed a preppie style, similair in feel to that of Ralph Lauren's, but it was his mastery of the street market which made an impact on fashion.  Sources: The Thames and Hudson Dictionary of Fashion and Fashion Designers The New York Magazine Vibe Magazine The Fashion Book |