Tommy hilfiger biography racism articles
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Tommy Hilfiger Addresses ’90s Rumors Of Racist Statements
In the midst of promoting his new book, American Dreamer, Tommy Hilfiger paid a visit to The Wendy Willams Show and discussed a bred range of topics, starting with his entry into the business with his first retail shop in upstate New York, onto the explosion in popularity of his brand within the New York rap scene in the early ’90s.
Williams said she associated the brand with Grand Puba, who shouted out the brand in Mary J. Blige’s single, “What’s the 411.” Hilfiger pointed out that Snoop Dog also helped the brand when he wore it on Saturday Night Live, and he also mentioned bringing on Aaliyah for ad campaigns and also working with Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child.
The talk show host didn’t wait long to tackle long-whispered rumors that Hilfiger wasn’t happy the hip hop community had embraced his brand. “Has hip hop helped or hurt your brand?,” Williams as
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When Rumors Are Clothed as Truth
Heard the one about clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger?
Seems he went on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and made racist remarks about African Americans. A furious Winfrey threw him off the show.
An incredible story--if it had actually happened.
Hilfiger is the latest celebrity designer to become embroiled in an urban legend alleging that he wants to see his clothes only on the backs of white people. Although the rumors apparently have been circulating on the Internet since November, the company only recently responded.
“Tommy Hilfiger did not make the alleged inappropriate racial comments,” said a company statement posted on the Internet. “. . . Hilfiger wants his clothing to be enjoyed by people of all backgrounds and his collections are put together with the broadest cross-section of individuals in mind. To reinforce this, he features models of all ethnic backgrounds in his fashion shows and advertisements.”
In one cybermyth, Hilfiger supposedly told
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Rumor: Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Not Intended for Minorities
Since the mid-1990s, variations of the rumor that Tommy Hilfiger is racist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic persist despite the fact that these allegations have been debunked over and over again.
Spread initially through e-mails and other electronic media almost 20 years ago, the rumor’s many variations stem from an original allegation that Hilfiger appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and stated that his fashion was intended for upper-class whites and if he had known Blacks would be wearing his clothing, he would not have made them so nice. Other versions of the e-mail claimed Hilfiger did not want Asians, Hispanics, Jews, or other minorities wearing his clothing line. The e-mails also generally cliam that Oprah kicked Hilfiger off the show after he made the statement and called for a boycott of the Tommy Hilfiger company.
There is no truth to this rumor.
On her January 11, 1999 show, Oprah clarified that Hilfiger had never