Tommy Hilfiger was born on March 24, 1951, in Elmira, a suburb of New York. He began selling jeans with two friends in high school and opened a shop in upstate New York in 1969. However, he felt he couldn't source the clothes people wanted, so he decided to design them himself. He taught himself fashion and began working as a freelance designer in 1979. He founded his eponymous company, Tommy Hilfiger, in 1984 and released his first collection in 1985. His men's sportswear became known worldwide, and the company went public in 1992. In 1995, he was named Men's Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). He sold the brand to British investment firm Apax Partners in 2005. Since 2010, it has been owned by American apparel company Phillips Van Heusen.

In Japan, the brand has focused on menswear and fragrances since 1992, but in 2002 it also launched the women's wear line, "Tommy Girl." In 2012, the Tommy Hilfiger Omotesando Store, Asia's largest flagship store, opened in Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku. In addition to menswear, womenswear, and sportswear, the brand also offers collection lines, accessories, and children's clothing.