Tommy Hilfiger might be one of the most iconic fashion brands in the world, but launching a range for people with disabilities was still a challenge, according to a senior executive who shared the brand’s journey at a recent NRF event. Designed and launched in 2017, Tommy Adaptive is Tommy Hilfiger’s inclusive range that makes dressing easier for adults and children with disabilities. It was initially launched in the US and later branched out to Europe and Japan. It was launched in Aus
The pieces in the collection feature several modifications, like easy-open necklines, extended zipper pulls, magnetic buttons, wide leg openings, and sliding drawcords.
“Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive fashion is all about expressing yourself and feeling confident in what you wear,” said Sarah Horton, senior director for innovation and integrated marketing at Tommy Hilfiger.
“No one should be left out of that experience. Everyone out there has the right to get up, get dressed, and express themselves through the clothes they chose with ease.”
According to Horton, the company’s journey to creating the inclusive collection started with having in-depth one-on-one conversations with customers and doing the research.
“Do not presume to think you know what the customer is looking for or what his or her needs or wants were,” she cautioned. “On this journey, we noted that it wasn’t our role to prescribe the product or solutions that were needed.”
“Our aim was, and still is, to educate and guide through our marketing, the concept of the line, the various solutions that are available and then empower the consumer to select styles and solutions that are most applicable for their style and the needs that they have.”
Horton said finding the right words to communicate its adaptive range was one of the biggest challenges the marketing team faced at launch.
With the word ‘adaptive’ still being a relatively new word in the world of fashion, the team had to find new ways to show the signature Tommy Hilfiger style through imagery, while demonstrating how the products function and provide ease of dressing for the customer.
Horton said the team had to also educate customers on the right words to use, how to search for the right products online and what to look for in an inclusive range.
“We wanted to know how to offer up the product so that they’d understand that it would help or work for them,” Horton said. “Words matter in so many different ways. Figuring out the language and understanding the consumer’s journey were the biggest barriers we faced in creating [our marketing campaigns].”
“We wanted to bring the consumer in, have them be a part of the conversation, don’t do anything without them, and for adaptive, this is crucial to engage the customer in every step of the way.”
Accessible shopping experience
To make the clothing line even more accessible to online shoppers, Tommy Hilfiger has created a ‘shop by solution’ feature that helps guide shoppers through all adaptive modifications, allowing them to choose the best solution for their needs.
Orders placed on the site are delivered in accessible and user-friendly packaging to make it easier for shoppers to open or return the items.
In the US, online shoppers can also purchase from the Tommy Adaptive range on their site using Alexa’s voice-enabled technology.
In March this year, the company launched its Spring 2021 collection and announced it will increase its Tommy Adaptive range to two per year and expand its availability around the world.
For their newly released Adaptive range, Tommy Hilfiger has recruited Australian paralympian Rheed McCracken to star in the campaign, alongside global paralympians like German Olympic cyclist Kristina Vogel, Vietnamese-American Paralympic swimmer and track runner Haven Shepherd among others.
