NEW YORK, Jul 25, 2001/ FW/ --- Tommy Hilfiger announced today that it has entered a licensing agreement with Germany's Hamm Group of Companies to manufacture and distribute men's, women's, and children's footwear throughout Europe.

The line will be introduced at the GDS fair in Dusseldorf in September 2001, and will be available at retail in Spring 2002.

Tommy Hilfiger Corporation has taken a proactive stance with its European business, during this quarter. Early this month, the company completed its acquisiton of Tommy Europe,

"Hamm Group is a leading company in the footwear business and an ideal partner as we combine our design philosophy with Hamm's industry expertise," said Tommy Hilfiger in a statement commenting on the partnership with the Hamm Group.

Joel Horowitz, CEO of Tommy Hilfiger, said in a statement, "By partnering with industry leaders like Estee Lauder, Strellson, Lantis Eyewear and now Hamm, we plan to continue to execute our strategy of extending the Tommy Hilfiger brand on a pan-European basis through diverse distribution channels."

Fred Gehring, CEO of Tommy Hilfiger Europe, adds, "Since launching our sportswear offering in Europe in 1997, we have been eager to introduce complementary Tommy Hilfiger products to European consumers. The addition of footwear through our new partnership with the Hamm Group will extend our existing product offering of apparel, fragrance, tailored clothing and eyewear."

Founded in 1888, Hamm specializes in branded footwear. Dr. Hans Peter Hamm, CEO of the Hamm Group commented, "We are excited to partner with Tommy Hilfiger, one of the premier American designers.