Born in Elmira, New York, Tommy Hilfiger began his empire of preppy Americana classics in 1969. Hilfiger.s designs are clean and crisp, and he uses a variety of textiles and embellishments to add character. Hilfiger involves himself in charities and organizations such as the Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation and the Anti-Defamation League and has served on the boards of the Fresh Air Fund and the Race to Erase MS. Fashion awards given to Hilfiger have included VH1's "From the Catwalk to the Sidewalk" award, GQ magazine Designer of the Year award, and the 1995 CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year award.
