What was the name of the first clothing store owned by Tommy Hilfiger?

The first clothing store owned by Tommy Hilfiger was People’s Place.

Hilfiger opened the store in 1969 in downtown Elmira, New York, using about $150 saved from working at a gas station. People’s Place was more than a conventional clothing shop: it also included a hair salon, a record store and a basement for rock concerts. The concept reflected the youth culture and music-driven style that influenced Hilfiger’s later brand.

The store eventually grew into a chain of about 10 locations, but the business filed for bankruptcy in 1977. That failure did not end Hilfiger’s fashion career. He moved to New York, worked with several labels and continued developing his own design identity before launching the Tommy Hilfiger brand in the 1980s.

A common mix-up is confusing People’s Place with Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, which was founded later, in 1985. People’s Place was his early retail venture; it was not the name of his signature label or a later Tommy Hilfiger store.