2020’S GIFT: A TRANSFORMATIVE YEAR

From the outset of 2020, the winds of change were sweeping across the world and the fashion industry was no exception: It was vital that brands embraced digitization and accelerated their sustainability journey. As a forward-thinking company, we were in a favorable position, yet no-one was prepared for the global events that would come. From the new realities brought about by the pandemic to the calls for justice in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, a transformative year lay ahead. A year that has been deeply challenging, but one I truly believe has forced us to grow and inspired positive change, offering the world a chance to evolve for the better. 

With every crisis comes opportunity and one legacy of 2020 will be a newfound spirit of collaboration and community. As the pandemic gathered momentum, I was truly touched by the agility, resilience and compassion the world displayed. Along with millions across the globe, our regular ways of life were dismantled, and we had to change how we did things. Within weeks our entire organization adapted to working from home, as we challenged every assumption and every process in order to reinvent ourselves. Our Talent Broker program was a successful initiative that allowed us to draw on the transferrable skills of our associates to fill critical resource gaps. It was impressive to watch teams seamlessly pivot during this period of extreme upheaval.

Digital Acceleration

Our focus continues to be keeping our people safe and ensuring an uninterrupted service to our customers. Overnight consumer needs changed. Shoppers became more ‘channel-agnostic’ and it became critical to improve omnichannel strategies. The innovative digital selling ecosystem we had in place, allowed us to respond with speed and security, and we were able to fast-track the ambition around our digital transformation by leveraging existent technology in smarter ways.

Even in the most challenging of times, it’s in our nature to drive change. Our digital showrooms went virtual, delivering a fully immersive digital buying experience for our B2B customers. We also made huge strides in 3D design, with 80% of product groups now using 3D technology from sketching through to sampling. These solely digital collections offer a pioneering alternative to fast fashion and are paving the way forward.

A Future that Wastes Nothing

The pandemic gave us a purpose and the time to reflect. The world at large has realized we must do more for our planet, and environmental sustainability has never been higher on the fashion industry agenda. In August, we launched Make it Possible, aiming to drive a more circular and inclusive organization by wasting nothing and welcoming all, with 24 targets set to achieve by 2030. We are passionate about shaping a fashion brand which limits its carbon and water footprints, and where all materials used are part of a sustainable loop. One proof point of this journey is our 100% recycled denims, which we launched last year, becoming the first brand to offer such garments at an industrialized scale. We know we can’t do this alone and our partners are central to our evolving innovation plan to unlock meaningful change.

Our dynamic Fall 2020 collaboration with Lewis Hamilton presented 83% more recycled polyester, organic cotton and low impact denim. We’re also on track to reduce our supply chain carbon emissions by 30% after the installation of the world’s most powerful, currently operational solar rooftop in Venlo, the Netherlands. This means all our offices, stores and warehouses in the country, are 100% powered by solar energy, via the Dutch public power network. These are incredible milestones on our sustainability journey, and I’m so proud of our passionate associates who came together to achieve this despite such a turbulent year.

A Future that Welcomes All

This summer, we witnessed one of the most significant global protests the world has seen, and the Black Lives Matter movement brought issues of discrimination into urgent focus. At Tommy Hilfiger we are devoted to transforming our company from the inside out and this inspired us to make an even bigger commitment to diversity and inclusion. I’ve made it my personal mission to increase the representation of female, people of color and minority groups in all global leadership positions and I’m incredibly inspired and humbled by our associates who are helping to push the agenda further. Inclusivity starts within, and we’ve rolled out unconscious bias training to all of our associates to become a more informed organization that embraces and respects the diversity of all people, identifies and cultures.

We all have a part to play in making change happen, and to stand alongside those who experience inequality. In response to this we founded the People’s Place Program to advance the representation of black, indigenous and people of color within the fashion industry and creative industries. We’ve committed $5 million in annual funding to help drive long-term change. Named after Tommy’s first store, People’s Place, where individuals of all cultures and backgrounds came together, the program promotes Partnerships, Career Access, and Industry Leadership. Our pledge for absolute transparency on this journey stands true, as does listening to criticism and being open to feedback, which is vital if we are to make progress. We are determined to do better, and this is just the start.

Building Towards a Better Fashion Industry

Times like these, call for bold steps. Tommy built his career on ‘disruption’ and, once again, the very foundations of his brand have been shaken. Yet, as all true visionaries know, complacency is deadly and the next revolution is what matters. 35 years since he started selling jeans from the trunk of his car, the future of fashion looks evermore digital, virtual, personal and accountable. Unwavering, however, are Tommy’s humble yet robust roots that lie in a purposeful company where determined optimism is at the heart of everything we do.

In times of health, human, environmental and economic crisis, who we are and what we stand for has never been a more important compass to guide us. With a power to act, we are taking a stand and using our resources to unite and drive towards a better fashion industry and, more crucially, a better world. Globally, we have proven we have the resilience to adapt and grow in complex and unpredictable circumstances. It fills me with hope that, as a society, we are not interested in returning to ‘business as usual’ but instead pushing forward for a stronger, more meaningful and more sustainable future. As we continue to rebuild in this way, we are creating a new legacy for future generations, and I could not be more excited at what lies ahead.