Thomas Jacob Hilfiger is an American fashion designer best known as the founder of Tommy Hilfiger Corporation. His career began in the 1970s when he co-founded People's Place, a chain of jeans and fashion stores in upstate New York, after working in a clothing store on Cape Cod in 1969. He used his life savings of $150 to open the first People's Place store in Elmira in 1971, which also featured a hair salon, record shop, and hosted rock concerts.