What Is the Tommy Hilfiger Logo?
The Tommy Hilfiger logo is the flag: a block of navy, white and red based on maritime signal flags, usually shown beside the name TOMMY HILFIGER. It belongs to Tommy Hilfiger, the American fashion brand that designer Tommy Hilfiger launched in New York City in 1985 and that PVH Corp. has owned since 2010.
The flag also appears on its own, and the brand's denim line, Tommy Jeans, has used it in its campaigns. The flag with the name is available as the Tommy Hilfiger logo SVG.
Tommy Hilfiger Logo Facts
| Introduced | 1985 |
| Symbol | A flag in navy, white and red, based on maritime signal flags |
| Logo type | Combination mark: flag and the TOMMY HILFIGER name |
| Owner | PVH Corp. |
What the Tommy Hilfiger Logo Means
The flag spells out its founder. Tommy Hilfiger has said that he wanted the logo to tell a personal story and to "speak the language of sailing", so the team turned his initials, TJH for Thomas Jacob Hilfiger, into a graphic treatment of maritime signal flags. He describes the result as evoking classic Americana and the nautical world.
The red and white block at the centre is borrowed from the International Code of Signals flag for H, known as Hotel. Flown alone at sea, that flag means "I have a pilot on board". On the logo, the H stands for Hilfiger.
Tommy Hilfiger Logo History
Tommy Hilfiger started in fashion in 1968 with People's Place, a clothing and record shop in upstate New York. His own label arrived in 1985, with backing from Indian textile entrepreneur Mohan Murjani, and Hilfiger says the flag logo was part of the brand from day one.
In the 1990s the brand's Sailing Gear collection took up the same nautical theme, and the flag featured in the 1997 Tommy Jeans campaign. In 2006 private equity firm Apax Partners bought the company, and on 6 May 2010 Phillips-Van Heusen, later renamed PVH Corp., completed its purchase of Tommy Hilfiger from funds advised by Apax.
In spring 2025 the Hilfiger Sailing collection went back to the archive. Its reversible regatta jacket shows the signature flag logo on one side and plain green on the other, a nod to 40 years of the brand's sailing theme.
The Hangman Billboard
The flag made its debut alongside an unusual advert. For the 1985 debut, art director George Lois created the hangman campaign, which first ran on a billboard in New York's Times Square. It set out the initials of established American designers such as Ralph Lauren, Perry Ellis and Calvin Klein in a word game, and announced TH as the next great name in menswear. The billboard was the start of a long partnership between Lois and Hilfiger.
For more brands like Tommy Hilfiger, browse our fashion logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Tommy Hilfiger flag mean?
It turns Tommy Hilfiger's initials, TJH, into maritime signal flags, and its red and white centre is the signal flag for H, for Hilfiger.
Is the Tommy Hilfiger logo a real flag?
Its centre is borrowed from the International Code of Signals flag for H, which on its own means "I have a pilot on board".
Who owns Tommy Hilfiger?
PVH Corp., which completed its purchase of the brand on 6 May 2010.
What was the Tommy Hilfiger hangman billboard?
The 1985 Times Square advert by George Lois that launched the brand, placing Hilfiger's initials alongside those of famous American designers.