Tommy Hilfiger's Racist : Allegations, Response, Truth & More

All about the Racism Rumors of Tommy Hilfiger

Tommy Hilfiger is a well-known brand which started way back in 1985. Today we see a lot of popular designs from him starting with accessories, clothing to even shoes. This is quite an infamous brand and is even considered as a luxury company. Although being so popular, there is a certain allegation against the brand, which leaves a sour taste in the mouth of the clients.

Let us dive in to discover the truth.

The Allegations against Tommy Hilfiger

The allegation of Tommy Hilfiger being racist spread across fire when he appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show in 1996, and said how he didn’t want any African Americans to wear his designed apparel.

These statements were very controversial and hurt the sentiments of many, and many started questioning the brand's goals and ambitions with such shallow thoughts.

The Response to Allegations

In response to the allegations, Tommy Hilfiger said he never said anything like that. According to his statements, he never made any such comments on the show which support racial discrimination. There was also a statement released from the Orphan Winfrey Show, which stated that they had no evidence of him stating comments like these.

The Truth about the Rumours

After a thorough investigation, it was found that the statement of Tommy Hilfiger making such a comment was pulled up as a prank by someone on the internet. There were chains of users on the internet who thought of this as a prank and circulated emails stating it on the internet.

The email broadcast consisted of a false statement accusing Tommy Hilfiger of making such comments which were not true in the first place.

Here is what the mail stated –

 At that time, who started the thread was unknown. Only a few "Send" clicks were enough to spread this rumour, shocking the masses. It is still unsure if this was a prank or intended solely to demean a brand that was at its peak.

The After Effects for the Brand

Although it was disclosed that Tommy Hilfiger never said any such thing, a bunch of prankster did the damage with this false comment. When accusations like these are passed, it takes years for a brand to rebuild its image.

The rumours spread quickly, and people started boycotting the brand and speaking more hate for it. It took him years to build his reputation again, although rumours on the internet stained the brand's fame for a long time.

There was a significant decrease in sales, which financially affected the brand. The situation improved a lot when the anti-defamation League (ADL) stated that “There was no proof and source for the statements and they lacked any basis". This finally cleared their name; however, you can still see rumours stating “Tommy Hilfiger is racist” circulating on the internet.

Tommy Hilfiger’s Background

Let’s consider Tommy Hilfiger’s background, which clearly shows that he could have never made such comments. Tommy Hilfiger is a well-known brand, but he was not born into luxury. His father was a working-class Irish American man in New York, and he had eight other siblings. Life was difficult, and he did not fancy privileges growing up.

Tommy first started his venture when he was 17 years old to bring cool upstate New York style to his small town. He recalls that the brand name was handwritten, and he couldn't even afford a proper sign. He started with a shoe string, but it became so popular that they got the opportunity to start multiple shops across New York City. Soon rappers and acerbities were styling his items which were a big achievement for him.

He was ready to make his brand with the help of Mohan Murjan, who was an Indian entrepreneur and already had many licenses under him. His vision with his brand to create collared shirts with bold colours and buttonholes made the difference. He failed numerous times and was offered a spot in Calvin Klein, which he declined because he was sure of his vision of creating his name.

Seeing how hard he worked and his struggles, it is quite obvious that he intended to make clothes for all and not just for discrimination. He was not rich and did not belong to upper class, and hence his statement of only serving the rich was purely false.

 However, back then, little was known about his background, due to which the boycott process elevated, and they faced severe consequences. View Examples

What Did We Learn from This Case?

Social media is very high right now, even though it was not back then. If false news against a brand can ruin its image, then it is quite easy to understand the internet's power. Spreading false accusations can destroy a person's life and a brand’s vision. The sales were hugely affected, and even after being proven that he never made such allegations, there was no easy way out of it.

 The brand's stock hit rock bottom, and it took them years to get back their sales and reputation on track.

It also shows us the lack of inclusivity in brands and the fashion industry. The present body positivity movement and inclusion of African American models are quite popular now. But it was not so back then. Back then, there were certain statistics which were meant to being hit, or else it was a huge flop in the fashion industry.

Remarks like this can affect a brand crazily and Tommy said that he felt that someone was out for him.  People easily believed such remarks to be true because it is quite expected from the fashion industry, highlighting the importance of more diversity in this sector.

This industry has a history of not promoting exclusivity. However, Tommy Hilfiger has been more aware of such remarks. They have been cautious about their clothes, models and the staff they hire to promote exclusivity in all ways possible.

Conclusion

Tommy Hilfiger is a big brand, but it was still difficult for them to set their foot right after such rumors. Whether it is a big or a small brand, once there are false rumours, it doesn't take long to spread. The worst news is that there are always people out there making such accusations without any basis to harm the fame of big brands.

With social media, one needs to be very self aware. And even if you are aware 100% all the time, there is no guarantee that you will not be subjected to false allegations.

Also, this incident reminded other brands to accept exclusivity and be more versatile regarding audience, staff and endorsement.

Once the damage is done, it pertains to a long period. Although many may take this as a discouraging event which it was, Tommy did not give up hope with his brand. Rather they put in continued efforts to get back people's love and support, and the rest is history with how the brand is one of the most prestigious brands in present times.