ed Hilfiger jersey on Saturday Night Live. The year after his appearance, company sales increased by more than $90 million. Tommy Hilfiger Corporation recognized that the hip-hop community was at the forefront of the fashion world and the company continued to associate itself with this segment of the market even though other companies tried to distance themselves from it as much as possible. Tommy Hilfiger began supplying clothing for other rap performers including Coolio, TLC, and the Fugees; and the company began using models from various ethnic backgrounds in advertisements appearing in pop-culture magazines such as Rolling Stone. Tommy Hilfiger continued to maintain this connection with pop-culture by sponsoring and dressing Sheryl Crow for her summer tour and by organizing a nation wide tour featuring the models appearing in the company's fall ad campaign. Tommy Hilfiger's appeal to the younger generation through its advertising techniques comes at a time in the economy when teen spending continues to rise due to the increase in teenagers and the fact that teens do more of the family shopping. Another reason for the company's success is in its pricing. According to Amy Spindler, chief fashion critic of the Times, "Tommy Hilfiger tapped into something that was needed in the culture, which was a less expensive Ralph Lauren." With Ralph Lauren being Tommy Hilfiger's biggest rival, the price differentiation combined with the popularity of Tommy Hilfiger in both the suburban and hip-hop urban communities has allowed the company to prosper. Tommy Hilfiger has grown from a company solely specializing in men's apparel, to a company specializing in a wide range of products. In September of 1996, a women's line, "tommy by Tommy Hilfiger" was unveiled, selling $125 million in its first year. The company produces both the women's fragrance, Tommy Girl, and the No. 1-selling men's cologne, Tommy, as well a...
