As a huge fan of hip-hop, there are a few essential things that are held near and dear to the culture. One is the music (Emcee, DJing) and another is style (graffiti, break dancing and now fashion). Today I’m going to focus on the fashion, particularly from one of the great designers, someone who revolutionized fashion in the 90s, and is doing it again today with solar power. Uniquely tuned in to what’s happening in culture and constantly being an innovator, Tommy Hilfiger is always at the cutting edge of fashion. While the design may take some getting use to the solar powered jackets show a lot of promise.
Iconic Tommy Hilfiger Logo
Tommy Hilfiger has always had a way of pushing fashion forward by staying in tune with his consumers. One of the most iconic images of hip-hop fashion was the Tommy Hilfiger logo. Originally intended to be preppy, hip-hop embraced the brand and Tommy embraced hip-hop. He saw this as an opportunity to connect his brand to a new audience and help it grow. I’d say this worked out very well for him. Read more here.
Tommy and Solar Powered Jackets
Now aware of the growing environmental consciousness among consumers and their cell phone addiction, Tommy has done it again. He has introduced us to solar powered jackets. This jacket is the intersection of wearable tech, fashion and environmental sustainability particularly solar power.
While there are actually other devices to charge cell phones, they typically use traditional power sources. In addition to these power sources, they require some form of portable battery that can be irritating to carry. Remembering to keep the battery charged can also be a chore. Now with a cord connected to the solar panels of the jacket in the lining, it is much easier to maintain a charged phone.
According to Rachel Arthur, Contributor at Forbes, the way this jacket works is when the solar panels are exposed to the sunlight, they charge the battery pack, which can fully charge a standard 1500mAh mobile device up to four times. Additional USB ports allow for multiple devices to be charged at a single time. A couple of things to note about the jacket (granted I’m not particularly fond of the design) is that the solar panel can be removed and Arthur says the jackets are lightweight.
Solar Powered Jackets and Hip Hop Fashion (My Opinion)
Although I wouldn’t call either version hip-hop fashion in the traditional sense, the new era of hip-hop fans might like it. The men’s version looks a bit better than the women’s version. While I may not particularly like the design, and it isn’t exactly his previous work, the attempt and the idea is very promising. With a few more design tweaks I think this fashion trend can be very promising.
As promising as this technology is, it needs your support to bring it back. Originally this jacket was a limited time release exclusively for the 2014 holiday season. However, if you make enough noise on social media, Tommy may just bring these jackets back with even better designs. Read more about the Tommy Hilfiger Solar Jacket here.
Technology is constantly improving and alternative forms of energy are gaining popularity. Almost anything you can think of has an environmentally friendly version. While the price on some of the objects may seem high, consider how much more common items like water or electricity will be, if we don’t properly take care of our current resources. It’s worth it to invest a little more now to help our future.
What to do Next
- Get on Social Media and flood @TommyHilfiger with requests to bring back the solar powered jacket.
- Support other solar powered jackets like ThermalTech.
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