Tommy Hilfiger promotes Esther Verburg to EVP for sustainable business and innovation

By

Olivier Guyot

Published
Oct 27, 2020

The keyword in the fashion industry over the last few months has been "circular fashion." Having already promoted sustainability, brands sensitive to the state of the planet and the expectations of consumers, are looking to reinvent themselves as part of a circular economy. In line with this model, raw materials are taken from old clothes that are then reclaimed in order to be reused. 

And the movement looks to be more than just a passing trend. Indeed, Tommy Hilfiger's objective is to make fully circular products which are part of a sustainable closed-loop by 2030. As part of its "Make It Possible" program, the American fashion brand presented its "Tommy for Life" project at the beginning of October. The first steps of the initiative have been implemented in the Netherlands, where the company's European HQ is located. These initial moves are based around three points of focus: encouraging consumers to return used products, a process which Tommy Hilfiger has dubbed "Reloved"; rehabilitating returned products, named "Refreshed", and finally "Remixed", which will see the brand use materials from returned products in order to make new, unique pieces. 

"'Tommy for Life' provides solutions to one of our industry’s greatest challenges: switching from a 'take-make-waste' approach to a model in which we keep products and materials in use as long as possible. Our investments in a business model that pioneers this at this scale and complexity will have true impact – not only on our brand, but on the future of the industry as a whole," said Martijn Hagman, chief executive officer of Tommy Hilfiger Global and PVH Europe, in a release. 

As part of this drive, Esther Verburg, who began developing Tommy Hilfiger's global sustainability strategy from its Amsterdam office in 2014, has been serving as VP of circular business at the brand since February of this year, working to implement circular operations. And now the executive has been promoted to the role of EVP of sustainable business and innovation for Tommy Hilfiger Global and PVH Europe. 

Alongside "Tommy for Life", the company has also been launching sustainable capsules, including its latest collaboration with Mercedes Benz, as well as projects such as the launch of Tommy's Drop Shop on December 8, which will see the brand team up with creatives from a range of different fields to produce pieces in 100% organic cotton. Only time will tell if, over the next few months, PVH, under the leadership of new CEO Stefan Larsson, will be able to combine its ambitions for circular operations with the performance objectives that its shareholders are hoping it will meet.