A look at some of the luxury brands that have thrived in a down economy.
Tommy Hilfiger just opened a 22,000-square-foot store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, a move that, in this economy, some might call insane. But the Hilfiger line, like many midrange designer brands, is growing, while other labels, notably at the high end, are struggling to hang on to market share. “We are positioned very well with accessible, affordable luxury and this is something we have been doing for 25 years,” the designer said last month during New York Fashion Week. Very well indeed. Sales of the Tommy Hilfiger Group, a unit of Apax Partners, a private equity investment group, rose 21 percent, to $1.6 billion, for the financial year that ended March 31, according to Fred Ghering, Hilfiger’s chief executive officer. Hilfiger sales for this financial year are expected to rise in the single digits, much less than in previous years, but they will still grow in a stagnant market. For the record, a Hilfiger cocktail dress sells for $450 and a camel hair coat goes for about $750. – From NY Times