American fashion and lifestyle brand Tommy Hilfiger, known for its preppy “American cool” aesthetic, is continuing to drive forward with its fashion-tainment strategy, combining sports, fashion and entertainment, by adding NFL star Travis Kelce to its roster as it looks to target the growing pre-game tunnel walk.
Tommy Hilfiger has a 40-year legacy of partnering with athletes, teams, and events across motorsport, football (soccer), sailing, golf, and snow sports, as well as TV and movie stars, including F1 legend Lewis Hamilton, tennis champion Rafael Nadal, actress Zendaya, actor Damson Idris, and even Liverpool Football Club.
In a statement, the brand, owned by part of PVH Corp., said that Kelce, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and three-time Super Bowl champion, and fiancé to pop sensation Taylor Swift, known for his bold game-day looks, was a “defining voice of his generation,” and would be working with the brand as a global ambassador as well as a creative collaborator.
“Travis Kelce is one of the most magnetic figures in sport and culture today,” said Tommy Hilfiger. “He is at the forefront of a new generation of athletes expressing themselves through style, with a down-to-earth quality that people immediately connect with. I’m excited to see how he brings his fearless, fun-loving and bold take on ‘Prep Made Current’ to fans around the world.”
The collaboration, which will begin in the autumn, is much more than just a face of a campaign; it is a multi-season partnership, which will see Kelce starring in campaigns, as well as co-designing menswear and accessories that will reimagine and elevate Tommy icons.
Tommy Hilfiger to tap into the “tunnel-walk” effect with Travis Kelce partnership
This isn’t Kelce’s first foray into fashion, the NFL star has his own sportswear and lifestyle brand Tru Kolors, founded in 2019, rooted in the “joy of dressing for the moment; from golden hours, to game days and to courtside nights,” which fuses varsity nostalgia with streetstyle apparel with T-shirts, jackets, crewnecks, joggers, and accessories. Kelce’s brand also launched a limited-edition collection with retailer American Eagle last summer.
No details have been revealed about what Kelce’s collection with Tommy Hilfiger will look like, just that he will be “refreshing ‘Prep Made Current’ through his vibrant lens,” drawing from his “bold, personal point of view,” which he brings to the tunnel-walk and red carpet.
Commenting on the collaboration, Kelce added: “I’ve long admired Tommy Hilfiger as an iconic American brand. Ever since high school, when I used to ask my mom to buy Sailing Gear jackets, I’ve been drawn towards the brand’s confident style and, over the years, have respected its ability to be classic and consistent while still evolving.
“Getting to work with Tommy and put my own twist on timeless pieces, in a way that feels original for today, is a dream come true.”
It is a clever move from Tommy Hilfiger to add Kelce to its growing roster of collaborators, as he helps align the brand with the NFL, which is increasingly integrating fashion and retail activations, as seen at the Super Bowl in February, which included fashion shows, designer collaborations and sustainability workshops. A partnership with the NFL itself isn’t currently possible, as US retailer Abercrombie & Fitch signed a multi-year deal last August to become the league’s official fashion partner, but with Kelce, they add themselves into the NFL landscape, as well as being in close proximity to Taylor Swift and her influence.
Travis Kelce to co-design his own collection with Tommy Hilfiger
Tommy Hilfiger’s fashion-tainment strategy is working, as the fashion and lifestyle brand reported that its revenue increased by 3.9 percent to 4.77 billion US dollars in its most recent financial year, which ended on February 1.
Kelce joining the brand follows several sports tie-ups in recent years, including a landmark partnership with Liverpool FC, as the football club’s official global partner. The deal sees Tommy Hilfiger dressing Liverpool FC’s men’s and women’s players to evolve the tunnel walk in the Premier League, including bespoke head-to-toe looks for players and key backroom staff, as well as the club showcasing curated Tommy Hilfiger collections, including the brand’s apparel, denim, accessories, and footwear across campaigns and select match days.
Tommy Hilfiger also strengthened its ties with Formula 1 with a multi-year apparel and lifestyle sponsorship deal with Cadillac, the new Formula 1 team backed by TWG Motorsports and General Motors, which joined the grid this season, after it previously had ties to Mercedes-AMG F1 and collaborated with F1 driver Lewis Hamilton.
As official apparel partners, the Cadillac F1 team kits feature Tommy Hilfiger’s signature design and iconography, with the designer fashion brand’s logo displayed on the car, driver suits and helmets. The brand also launched a fanwear collection in February with pieces mirroring the official team kit, including driver caps, T-shirts and polos.
Tommy Hilfiger, which states the collaboration with Cadillac F1 will set “a new standard for lifestyle partnerships in the sport,” will also include city-inspired race specials that capture the energy of Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas, built around themes of heritage and character, highlighting the team’s identity, race locations, and drivers.
The brand also stepped into the world of basketball in February 2025 with a new collaboration with sports lifestyle brand ’47, celebrating five National Basketball Association (NBA) teams, the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and New York Knicks.