Ginny Hilfiger of ‘Hilfiger Family’ Discusses Launch of ‘The Messi Store’ and Latest Summer Product Line

Back in September 2019, Ginny Hilfiger and her partner, Maximiliano Odeja launched The Messi Store, a lifestyle brand created on behalf of Argentina soccer star, Lionel Messi and family. 

Having worked for nearly 18-years alongside her oldest brother, Tommy, running the design at Tommy Hilfiger Corporation, Ginny saw another opportunity to create ‘new, new, new’, as she says, now serving as both the co-founder and Creative Director for the apparel.

“My partner Max and I wanted to do something different, and as casual wear started to take over, menswear seemed like the avenue to go down, because women’s wear was so oversaturated,” she told Luxe Beat Magazine. 

“Max is from Argentina and is a huge soccer buff, so we approached the Messi’s and asked them if we could launch them a lifestyle brand.”

Comprising 70% men and 30% women, The Messi Store sees a unique demographic of customers, ranging from 18 to 34. “We also have people that buy the collection who are well into their sixties,” Hilfiger says. “And then we have some younger than 18 as well, but the real heart of the business right now has been 18 to 34, which is really where we want to be.”

Interestingly, Ginny has some in-house help when it comes to learning the palettes of today’s Gen-Z’ers and Millennials – literally. 

A mother to her 23-year-old daughter, Audrey, Ginny describes her daughter as ‘very inspiring’: 

“[Audrey] and her friends are all super inspiring; they’re really cute and young. Most of her and her girlfriends live in sweats, until they go out at night, you know? They’re definitely all living in sweats, all the time. I love to see the different styles that she has; she’s inspiring and I like to see what she and her friends are doing too, because they are the generation we want.” 

Since 1992, technology of course has evolved and transcended, where consumers are now able to very quickly identify what they do and do not like, thanks to social media, making it both challenging and fun for designers like Ginny who have to keep up with the instant gratification today’s Millennial and Gen-Z bring to platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok.

“Nowadays, I think all brands have the challenge of having to constantly show ‘new, new, new, new, new’—so it’s definitely a lot of pressure to continually come out with new graphics, new things to ensure that we’re staying on trend. Everybody is always wanting something new and different all the time, and it’s changing so fast, and moving even faster now than it was historically.”

Designing the Most Fitting Contract

Eventually, Ginny went off on her own, creating her own fashion line and helping to rebrand FIla globally, where she worked on several projects for Chinese brands, bringing us to Ginny’s latest endeavor with The Messi Store.

“My partner Max and I wanted to do something different, and as casual wear started to take over, menswear seemed like the avenue to go down, because women’s wear was so oversaturated,” she told me. “Max is from Argentina and is a huge soccer buff, so we approached the Messi’s and asked them if we could launch them a lifestyle brand.”

While Ginny and Max both got the answer they were seeking from the Messi family, it took approximately two years to reach a final agreement, eventually launching The Messi Store in 

The Messi Store’s Upcoming Summer Product Line

With the company’s latest summer product line, broadening the collection is the major focus:

“When we launched, we decided to go direct-to-consumer which ended up being the right decision because of COVID-19…We took the time to learn what our consumers really wanted so that we could deliver a product that they would be happy with.”

The Messi Store, which initially launched with a premium line of hoodies, zip jackets, and puffer jackets, is now adding denim and accessories to its inventory. “I’ve been working with this denim factory and we have denim that is pretty much sustainable, in that they don’t reuse water and instead recycle their water, using solar power. They’re really cool guys set up in Hong Kong. One of the guys that runs the place is Dutch, while the other guy is from the United States, who I work closely with. So, we’re excited about that.” 

Ginny also revealed that they are also in the process of continually changing the company’s t-shirt collection and doing all different techniques—“not just screen printing and flat blank; we have embroideries, patches, reflective, and all kinds of techniques, which we are finding that these are things people really like a lot—things that have dimension and depth.”

With the company’s latest summer product line, broadening the collection is the major focus:

At the end of the day, Ginny wants young professionals, Gen-Z’ers, and Millennials to become a fan and customer. But how? 

“I want you to like it, share it, and spread the word to your friends…giving comments and feedback on what you would want to see more from us. You know, what’s your favorite piece? If there’s a certain thing you would want to see differently with a particular product, like a hoodie, right?

For example, ‘I like that hoodie, but I would have loved it if you could put it with a longer drop cord—something like that. I love learning from people, especially today’s younger generation, because a lot of them have different ideas of style.”

Photos Courtesy of The Messi Store