Haute 100 lister Tommy Hilfiger attended the Literacy Partners gala, where he revealed unheard details of his childhood as well as the inspiration behind his fashion empire.
At the event, which took place at Cipriani 42nd Street, Hilfiger read excerpts from his forthcoming memoir American Dreamer. Prior to dinner, Hilfiger said regarding his new book, “I’m not totally finished with the book yet, so I thought I’d read part of the first chapter and talk a little bit about my story, which is in the process of being edited and re-edited.”
He then read aloud from his book, “I thought when I was in school I was just one of the dumb ones,” he read aloud to the crowd. “I came to the conclusion when I was 17 that I should be in business…I worked nights in a gas station, worked at a sport goods store, and I saved $150.” Hilfiger continued reading, “With the profit, I decided to open a shop called ‘People’s Place. That was in 1969. Many years later, we have a $8 billion business worldwide with 1,500 stores, still going, still growing, having fun, and I’m enjoying every single day.”
American Dreamer, which is being published by Ballantine Books, is touted to be “The definitive memoir of a timeless fashion icon, Tommy Hilfiger’s American Dreamer chronicles the designer’s formative years, his meteoric rise in the fashion industry, his embrace of music and pop and youth culture, and the setbacks, triumphs, and sheer determination that drove him to build a multibillion dollar global lifestyle brand.” It is slated to be released Nov. 1st.
The event, which honored Norman Pearlstine, Time Inc.’s Chief Content Office, and paid tribute to the late Arnold Scaasi, raised more than $1 million.
As for the organization, Literacy Partners provides literacy services to more than 25,000 New York City adults. Its mission is to strengthen families through a two-generation approach to education, which includes free classes for low-income parents in New York City—many of them immigrants— to develop the literacy and language skills they need to succeed in today’s world.
You can pre-order Hilfiger’s book here.
