Tommy Hilfiger announces five finalists for Fashion Frontier Challenge

Tommy Hilfiger, owned by PVH Corp, has named five finalists for the fourth edition of its Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge ahead of the finale on February 9, 2023.

The challenge aims to accelerate inclusivity in fashion, amplifying historically marginalised entrepreneurs, including Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC), individuals living with a disability and women, who are “striving to advance their communities by building a more inclusive fashion industry”.

The fourth edition received more than 259 applications from global start-ups and scale-ups before they were narrowed down by a panel of internal and external experts based on a dedicated set of criteria, including potential social impact and market growth.

“As we move into the fourth edition of the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge, we know that there is still more work to be done to achieve diverse representation and inclusion in fashion,” said Tommy Hilfiger in a statement. “When we come together in collaboration, we spark an important catalyst for change – and only together can we foster this long-lasting impact. We’re committed to using our platform to give emerging talent a voice so the industry as a whole can evolve how we think, build and create.”

Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge names finalists for the fourth edition

The five finalists include British company IDA Sports, which designs footwear and soccer cleats for female athletes to enhance their performance, comfort and safety, and Koalaa, a British initiative engineering comfortable, affordable, soft upper limb prosthetics made like clothes for people of all ages.

The additional finalists include Care+Wear, an innovative healthwear company based in New York that aims to bridge the gap between fashion and function by creating adaptive and accessible clothing, recovery bras, patient gowns, and scrubs to help every person feel more human while in the hospital, as well as Dutch-American tech brand Tactus, which is developing and producing smart clothing that translates music into vibrations for the deaf community.

Rounding off the finalists is a start-up founded in Bangladesh called Moner Bondhu that provides accessible and affordable mental health and wellbeing services through professional counselling, workshops, and training to all, especially garment factory workers, women, and youth.

Last month, the five finalists completed design sprints with experts from the Tommy Hilfiger global headquarters in Amsterdam and presented their most pressing business challenge and collaborated with experts to develop practical solutions.

In the programme's final phase, the five finalists will pitch their business concepts to a jury panel consisting of business and sustainability leaders, including Tommy Hilfiger, activist and former model Halima Aden, as well as representatives from Tommy Hilfiger Global and PVH Europe at the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge finale on February 9.

The top two winners will share 200,000 euros to support their ventures, alongside receiving a year-long mentorship with Tommy Hilfiger and experts from business school Insead, as well as a place in an Insead course. An additional 15,000 euros will be awarded to the 'Audience Favourite’ finalist voted for by Tommy Hilfiger associates. Martijn Hagman, chief executive at Tommy Hilfiger Global and PVH Europe, added: "Supporting and working with communities that drive positive change and innovation within the fashion industry remains one of our top priorities.

"Driving change is part of our brand DNA. With every new edition, the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge reaffirms our commitment to amplifying the work of incredible entrepreneurs who can play a critical role in our journey towards creating a better fashion industry."

Past winners include Clothes to Good, a social enterprise based in South Africa with the mission to empower communities and alleviate poverty through the conscious fashion industry, Auf Augenhoehe, a fashion label developing styles for people affected by dwarfism, and Rwanda-based eco-friendly shoe brand Uzuri K&Y that focuses on recycling car tires in sub-Sahara Africa whilst equipping the youth with skills and economic independence.