AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tommy Hilfiger, which is owned by PVH Corp. [NYSE: PVH], announces Apon Wellbeing and A Beautiful Mess as winners of the 2019 Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge. More than 400 applications were received for the second edition of the global program, which aims to support entrepreneurial start-up and scale-up stage businesses developing solutions that promote inclusive and positive change in fashion.
“At Tommy Hilfiger, we’re committed to wasting nothing and welcoming all. From start to finish, I have been inspired by this talented group of social entrepreneurs whose innovations are making the fashion landscape more sustainable and inclusive,” said Tommy Hilfiger. “I am proud to congratulate this year’s winners, Apon Wellbeing and A Beautiful Mess. This is just the beginning for these start-ups and we will continue to mentor and foster these entrepreneurs who are so committed to making a positive impact in our industry.”
“The winners of the second Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge represent the future of the fashion industry,” said Daniel Grieder, CEO, Tommy Hilfiger Global and PVH Europe. “As our industry continues to rapidly evolve, it is important to collaborate, both within and outside of the fashion landscape, and bring forward innovations that have the ability to transform our businesses for the better. Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists!”
Apon Wellbeing was awarded €75,000. The Bangladesh-based scale-up opens fair-priced shops carrying daily necessities inside factories, with products offered at a 10% discount to external prices and a points scheme that workers collect for free health-insurance and health services.
“When you are upcoming in the fashion value chain, endorsement from a brand like TOMMY HILFIGER immeasurably helps start-ups and scale-ups grow and increase impact,” said Saif Rashid, Apon Wellbeing Founder and Managing Director. “But the most important thing is the strategic support and mentorship the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge offers. The support TOMMY HILFIGER has given has already shaped our business model, strategy, communication and how we think about the future.”
Dutch start-up, A Beautiful Mess, was also awarded €75,000. A Beautiful Mess runs a creative space to assist refugees in realizing social and economic independence by creating sustainable apparel products.
“We need big players in the fashion industry to scale-up circular production initiatives, and that’s exactly what the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge offers,” said Naz Kawan, A Beautiful Mess Makerspace Director. “A collaborative, integrated approach is necessary if we want to transform the fashion industry’s supply chain. With the support of this global program, we are working towards a more circular, transparent and inclusive fashion landscape.”
The winners also received a year-long mentorship with Tommy Hilfiger’s and INSEAD’s global experts, as well as a place in the INSEAD Social Entrepreneurship Program (ISEP).
A third start-up, Sudara, was selected as the “Audience Favorite Vote” and was awarded €10,000. Based in India and the United States, Sudara is a scale-up pajama and loungewear company that develops professional and sewing skills in women who have escaped from or are at high risk of being sex trafficked.
“The Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge is all about using fashion as a force for good, which directly speaks to our brand purpose,” said Shannon Keith, Sudara Inc. Founder and Chairwoman. “We’re particularly excited about winning the ‘Audience Favorite Vote,’ because it shows that what we’re doing really resonates with the teams at TOMMY HILFIGER, who are committed to making a difference in the fashion industry.”
Over a multi-step, multi-month process that began in May 2019, over 420 applicants were narrowed down to six finalists who were invited to develop and refine their business plans with the support of a dedicated team of social entrepreneur experts. During the program’s Final Event, which took place at Tommy Hilfiger’s Campus of the Future in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on February 13, 2020, the six finalists pitched their concepts to a prestigious jury panel, including Mr. Tommy Hilfiger, Daniel Grieder, CEO, Tommy Hilfiger Global and PVH Europe, Noor Tagouri, Journalist, Activist and Speaker, Martijn Hagman, CFO, Tommy Hilfiger Global & COO, Tommy Hilfiger Global and PVH Europe, Willemijn Verloop, Founding Partner, Social Impact Venture, Steven Serneels, CEO and Board Member, EVPA, and Katrin Ley, Managing Director, Fashion for Good.
Tommy Hilfiger’s vision is to create fashion that wastes nothing and welcomes all. Find out more about the brand’s long-term sustainability efforts, particularly in the areas of inclusivity and circularity, at: https://global.tommy.com/en_int/about-us-corporate-sustainability.
Friends and followers of the brand are invited to join the conversation on social media using #TommyHilfiger and @TommyHilfiger.
About Tommy Hilfiger
With a brand portfolio that includes TOMMY HILFIGER and TOMMY JEANS, Tommy Hilfiger is one of the world’s most recognized premium designer lifestyle groups. Its focus is designing and marketing high-quality men’s tailored clothing and sportswear, women’s collection apparel and sportswear, kidswear, denim collections, underwear (including robes, sleepwear and loungewear), footwear and accessories. Through select licensees, Tommy Hilfiger offers complementary lifestyle products such as eyewear, watches, fragrance, swimwear, socks, small leather goods, home goods and luggage. The TOMMY JEANS product line consists of jeanswear and footwear for men and women, accessories, and fragrance. Merchandise under the TOMMY HILFIGER and TOMMY JEANS brands is available to consumers worldwide through an extensive network of TOMMY HILFIGER and TOMMY JEANS retail stores, leading specialty and department stores, select online retailers, and at tommy.com.
About PVH Corp.
PVH sets the standard of style as one of the most admired fashion and lifestyle companies in the world. We power brands that drive fashion forward – for good. Our iconic portfolio includes TOMMY HILFIGER, CALVIN KLEIN, Van Heusen, IZOD, ARROW, Speedo*, Warner’s, Olga and Geoffrey Beene brands, as well as the digital-centric True & Co. intimates brand. We market a variety of goods under these and other nationally and internationally known owned and licensed brands. PVH has over 38,000 associates operating in over 40 countries and nearly $9.7 billion in annual revenues. That’s the power of PVH.
*The Speedo brand is licensed for North America and the Caribbean in perpetuity from Speedo International Limited.
