I’ve always felt a strong connection to the music world, ever since I was a teenager growing up in upstate New York in the 1960s. I was hugely influenced by rock icons and the clothes they wore – and David Bowie always stood out from the rest. His unique style and stage presence played an important role in my dream to design, and his creativity has continuously inspired me throughout the course of my career.

In the 1990s, I had the idea to try something that hadn’t been done before: my dream was to fuse the worlds of fashion, pop culture and entertainment, and I was strongly influenced by what David Bowie and Andy Warhol were doing for music and art. Through my brand, I started sponsoring tours and featuring musicians in our campaigns. David was a trailblazer and a chameleon in music and fashion, always up for anything that celebrated individuality and stood out from the rest. David and Iman had been friends of mine for many years when I asked them to collaborate on our H by Tommy Hilfiger campaign. It is one of my favorite shoots and Ellen von Unwerth really captured the ultimate portrait of rock and fashion royalty. With our shared passion for innovation and our love of eccentric, eclectic style, David inspired my life just as he inspired the worlds of fashion and music, and his passing is an incredible loss for the world.

David was a true innovator in art, music and fashion. He had an intuitive understanding of the world around him and became a cultural icon.

We have lost one of the true geniuses of our time. He left behind treasures of music and art history that will inspire us forever.