Tommy Hilfger Q&A: The Rise and Fall and Rise of a Man and His Brand

Twenty years ago, Tommy Hilfiger’s clothes were everywhere. They were clinging to Britney Spears, hanging off Snoop Dogg, draped on Kate Moss—sometimes it seemed as though everyone was wearing the red, white, and blue label. And then suddenly they weren’t. By 2000, Tommy Hilfiger’s stock had plunged; one particularly bad quarter saw a drop of 75 percent.

It took 10 years and the sale of the company, but Hilfiger eventually revamped his image. The brand’s revenue was up 14 percent in the U.S. last year, and Hilfiger recently launched a new womenswear line with Zooey Deschanel. Bloomberg Businesssweek talked to Hilfiger about his rise, his fall, and how he picked himself back up again.