Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge announces 6 finalists

The third Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge, which builds on the brand’s sustainability philosophy of “Waste Nothing and Welcome All,” has announced six finalists.

The latest edition of the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge aims to continue promoting and supporting black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) entrepreneurs fighting to promote their communities while fostering a more inclusive future of fashion.

Over 430 applications from startups and scale-ups around the world were received.

At the virtual global Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge final event on January 12-13, 2022, the six finalists will pitch their company concepts to a jury panel of business and sustainability leaders.

Tommy Hilfiger said that their long-standing aim to leverage the power of fashion to create diversity, representation, and transformation” is embodied through the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge. Only new, creative ideas that challenge how they think, construct, and create can propel our industry ahead. As a brand, it’s critical that they use their platform to offer entrepreneurs like their finalists a voice and the chance to make a significant, long-term difference.

The six finalists are Clothes to Good, a South African organization that creates textile recycling jobs for people with disabilities; Haelixa, a Switzerland-based product traceability technology focused on consumer goods supply chains; Mafi Mafi, an Ethiopian sustainable fashion brand that honors ancient traditions and empowers marginalized artisans; Lalaland, a Dutch platform that uses artificial intelligence to create virtual supermodels across a range of ethnicities, ages, and sizes; Soko, a Kenyan jewelry company that connects Kenyan artisans to a global marketplace; and Uzuri K&Y, a Rwandan-based eco-friendly shoe brand that reuses recycled car tires and employs local youth.

The six finalists have developed and improved their business ideas with the help of Tommy Hilfiger and subject matter experts from the non-profit business school INSEAD, which they will present at the final event.

Martijn Hagman, CEO of Tommy Hilfiger Global and PVH Europe, said that it is their responsibility as significant stakeholders in the fashion business to support, empower, and encourage inclusivity. The Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge demonstrates its dedication to making a substantial and long-term contribution to a stronger fashion sector. Even in the most difficult of circumstances, it is in their nature to drive change. They’re excited to keep highlighting the voices of entrepreneurs who are shaping the fashion world we want and need to see.