Tommy Hilfiger reveals Fashion Frontier Challenge finalists for 2022

PVH Corp. announced on Wednesday finalists for the fourth edition of its Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge for 2022, a program which aims to amplify historically marginalized entrepreneurs that support Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), individuals living with a disability and women communities.

Carefully selected from a pool of 259 applicants — from global startups to scaleups — the five finalists have been revealed as: Care+Wear, a healthwear company based in New York that provides accessible clothing, recovery bras, patient gowns, and scrubs to people in hospital; IDA Sports: a British company designing footwear and soccer cleats specifically for female athletes; Koalaa, a UK initiative engineering upper limb prosthetics made like clothes; Tactus, a Dutch-American tech brand that makes smart clothing that translates music into vibrations for the deaf community; and Moner Bondhu, a startup founded in Bangladesh that provides mental health and wellbeing services with a focus on garment factory workers, women and youth.

​Over year-long process, applications were reviewed by internal and external experts based on a dedicated set of criteria, including potential social impact and market growth.

Last month, the five finalists completed design sprints with experts from the Tommy Hilfiger global headquarters in Amsterdam. During this step, each finalist presented their most pressing business challenge and collaborated with experts to develop practical solutions over the course of a week.

In the program’s final phase, the five finalists will pitch their business concepts to a jury panel consisting of business and sustainability leaders, including Tommy Hilfiger and activist Halima Aden, at the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge finale on February 9.

A €200,000 award will be divided between the top two winners to support their ventures, as well as receiving a year-long mentorship opportunity with Tommy Hilfiger and INSEAD experts, and a place in an INSEAD course. An additional €15,000 will be awarded to the finalist who Tommy Hilfiger associates vote as their ‘Audience Favorite.’

​“As we move into the fourth edition of the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion Frontier Challenge, we know that there is still more work to be done to achieve diverse representation and inclusion in fashion,” said Tommy Hilfiger.

“When we come together in collaboration, we spark an important catalyst for change – and only together can we foster this long-lasting impact. We’re committed to using our platform to give emerging talent a voice so the industry as a whole can evolve how we think, build and create.”