Tommy Hilfiger is taking further steps to approach sustainability from both an environmental and social perspective. On Monday, the PVH Corp.-owned brand rolled out “Make it Possible,” a set of 24 targets outlined across four pillars centered around circularity and inclusivity.
With the motto “Wastes Nothing and Welcomes All,” by 2030 the program aims to make fully circular products; operate responsibility in regards to “planetary boundaries” such as climate change, land use and chemical pollution; be an “always inclusive, completely accessible” brand; and create equal access to opportunity for all at Tommy Hilfiger.
Make it Possible is powered by parent company PVH’s Forward Fashion strategy, a set of 15 principles designed to reduce negative environmental impacts to zero, increase positive impacts to 100 percent, and improve the more than 1 million lives across the company’s value chain, the company stated. The strategy, which was introduced in 2018, examines ways the company can advance living wages, promote safe workplaces, develop talent and more across all PVH brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and its heritage brands portfolio.
“Tommy Hilfiger has a decades-long track-record for driving a more sustainable future, including pioneering low impact denim processes, championing water stewardship, and creating more inclusive collections,” said Martijn Hagman, CEO of Tommy Hilfiger Global and PVH Europe. “Make it Possible is one way we will work together to make a meaningful and lasting contribution towards a better fashion industry.”
Circle round
Circular business models will be a significant part of the Tommy Hilfiger business, the company stated.
And denim will continue to be a great focus in this endeavor. A key achievement in the brand’s sustainable journey has been reducing the amount of water and energy used for 2 million denim garments by adopting low-impact finishing technologies. From 2020 onwards, 50 percent of the brand’s denim pieces will use lower-impact manufacturing in finishes, and by 2025, 50 percent of denim pieces will use lower-impact fabrics.
By 2025, Tommy Hilfiger’s three most commonly purchased items will be made completely circular, including the full traceability of key raw materials. Additionally, the brand will phase out the use of virgin oil-based polyester for alternatives with lower environmental impact, sustainably source 100 percent of its man-made cellulosics, leather and wool and obtain 40 percent of its nylon from recycled sources.
To date, more than 80 percent of Tommy Hilfiger designers have been trained on circular design strategies and, in 2019, 72 percent of cotton used globally came from more sustainable sources.
Made for life
By 2030, Tommy Hilfiger aims to reduce the carbon footprint of its value again ahead of science-based target requirements, recycle or re-use all of its waste and use water sustainably—by ensuring that water leaving wet processors will have zero hazardous chemicals and will be filtered for microfibers, and by working with others to preserve water resource in high-risk basins.
More responsible packaging will be part of this plan. Among Tommy Hilfiger’s goals is to have 100 percent of its packaging in its own operations and supply chain be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025. Meanwhile, consumer packaging will be free of oil-based, single-use plastic.
By 2030, all of the brand’s offices, distribution centers and stores will achieve zero waste and eliminate single-use plastics. The company will shift to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2025 for its offices, warehouses and stores. It aims drive a 30 percent reduction in our supply chain emissions by 2030.
Everyone welcome
Through Make it Possible, Tommy Hilfiger is also setting goals to help make all consumers feel comfortable in its products and offer an accessible brand experience across all sales and marketing channels.
Along with working with specialized partners to help amplify causes that foster inclusivity, by 2023 the brand will roll out “best practices” globally to make its online shopping experience—from purchase to receipt to return—inclusive to everyone. Tommy Hilfiger will also share its inclusive retail proposition for its stores and showrooms with wholesale partners.
In terms of product, the brand will offer options in inclusive formats by 2022 and adaptive versions by 2025 across all Tommy Hilfiger product categories.
The new goals will follow inclusive initiatives like the 2019 launch of Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive, a line designed to make dressing easier for adults and children with disabilities, the brand’s foray into inclusive sizing with the Fall 2019 Tommy x Zendaya collaboration and the addition of gender-neutral styles.
Opportunity for all
Tommy Hilfiger is setting goals to reinforce this inclusive approach in its own operations and workforce.
First steps include implementing an inclusive hiring policy to ensure a more diverse candidate pool for every role. By 2023, it will roll out unconscious bias training and digital literacy programs to reach all Tommy Hilfiger associates globally in offices, stores and warehouses.
The company is also examining how it can help make its supply chain more diverse and fair. Tommy Hilfiger is putting steps in place to ensure that all of workers employed by key suppliers will have their voices heard through representative workplace committees by 2025. Additionally, the company wants to eliminate recruitment fees for migrant workers at PVH’s Levl 1 and key Level 2 suppliers.
To foster gender equality, Tommy Hilfiger will offer professional and life skills development programs and services to 200,000 women across the PVH supply chain by 2030. The same year, the brand aims to achieve gender parity in leadership positions.
And to scale transformative innovations in communities, the brand will enable social innovation and entrepreneurship.
One example of how it already supports budding business owners is the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge, a global program to find and support new ideas that are making the fashion landscape more inclusive. Since 2018, Tommy Hilfiger reports that it has received more than 1,100 applications from around the world, and awarded more than $418,000 to the winning social entrepreneurs.
Tommy Hilfiger will continue to pilot or implement at least one business idea every year from the challenge.
“As our brand has evolved over the years, driven by this inclusive spirit, so has our commitment to social and environmental sustainability. With Make it Possible, we will go even further with our commitment,” said Tommy Hilfiger. “We’re working towards our vision with the entire organization focused on it and, while we’re not there yet, we are going to get there.”