Tips from Tommy

In 1969, when Tommy Hilfiger was a high-school senior, he and a friend each put up $150, bought 20 pairs of bell-bottoms, and set up shop in an Elmira, New York, basement. "We sold rock 'n' roll type of clothes. I listened to the Doors, Hendrix, the Who. I wanted to look like these musicians." Now that the former teenage entrepreneur's company—which did a wholesale volume of more than $200 million last year—has skyrocketed into, he says, "one of the hottest apparel stocks on the market," Hilfiger is circling back to his rock roots by hosting MTV and VH-1 segments called "The TIP" ("trends, influences, personalities"). Starting this month he will fling open the closets of such stars as Pete Townshend and Tori Amos to "uncover how their style relates to their music, and find out what ticks their clock." Worn by everyone from "young rappers like Snoop Doggy Dogg to retired golfers in Texas," Hilfiger's clothes, he explains, have a universal appeal. "Because of the electronic media, basic, fresh American sportswear has become a global phenomenon."

AMY FINE COLLINS