PVH Corp.
Company History
PVH History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1881 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, United States
When was PVH founded?
PVH was founded in 1881 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, United States by Moses Phillips and John Van Heusen, making it 145 years old.
- Founded
- 1881
- Founding place
- Pottsville, Pennsylvania, United States
- Founders
- Moses Phillips and John Van Heusen
- Headquarters today
- New York, New York, USA
- Milestones documented
- 12 (1881–2026)
- Current CEO
- Stefan Larsson
- Acquisitions
- 4
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1881 | Moses and Endel Phillips begin selling shirts to coal miners in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. |
| 1957 | Renamed Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation after merging with Van Heusen brand. |
| 1995 | Izod Acquired |
| 2003 | Acquires Calvin Klein for $430 million, transforming PVH into a global fashion company. |
| 2006 | Manny Chirico becomes CEO |
| 2010 | Acquires Tommy Hilfiger for $3 billion, adding the American lifestyle brand to the portfolio. |
| 2011 | Renamed PVH Corp. |
| 2013 | Acquires Warnaco Group for $2.9 billion, consolidating Calvin Klein jeans and underwear licenses. |
| 2021 | Stefan Larsson becomes CEO in February and launches the PVH+ Plan. |
| 2021 | Sells the Van Heusen, IZOD, ARROW and Geoffrey Beene trademarks to Authentic Brands Group for about $220 million. |
| 2026 | Q1 2026 Results Update Outlook |
| 2026 | Q2 2026 results and new CFO |
- Where was PVH founded?
- PVH was founded in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, United States in 1881.
- Who founded PVH?
- PVH was founded by Moses Phillips and John Van Heusen.
- When did PVH start?
- PVH was founded in 1881.
- How old is PVH?
- PVH is 145 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
The business began in 1881 when Moses and Endel Phillips sold hand-sewn shirts to coal miners in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. In 1919 the company partnered with John M. Van Heusen, whose soft-folding collar patent led to the Van Heusen shirt, and the company later took the name Phillips-Van Heusen. It stayed mainly a shirt and sportswear maker until it bought Calvin Klein in 2003.
Founders
Moses Phillips
Moses Phillips founded the Phillips-Jones company (which would become PVH) in 1881. A Polish immigrant, he began by selling hand-sewn flannel shirts from a wooden pushcart to local coal miners in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. His simple business eventually grew into a massive shirt-making operation that laid the absolute foundation for the modern apparel conglomerate. Moses Phillips was born in 1845.
John Van Heusen
John Manning Van Heusen invented a revolutionary new process for fusing cloth to create a soft, folding shirt collar that didn't require stiff starching. In 1919, he partnered with the Phillips company to mass-produce the 'Van Heusen' collar, which became an absolute massive global sensation and permanently changed men's fashion. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
Moses and Endel Phillips begin selling shirts to coal miners in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgRenamed Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation after merging with Van Heusen brand.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgIzod Acquired
Phillips-Van Heusen bought the Izod and Gant brands from Crystal Brands in 1995.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquires Calvin Klein for $430 million, transforming PVH into a global fashion company.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgManny Chirico becomes CEO
Manny Chirico became CEO of PVH in 2006. Chirico's two transformative acquisitions built the two-megabrand structure -- Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger -- that still generates over 95% of PVH's revenue today.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquires Tommy Hilfiger for $3 billion, adding the American lifestyle brand to the portfolio.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgRenamed PVH Corp.
Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation was renamed PVH Corp. in 2011.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquires Warnaco Group for $2.9 billion, consolidating Calvin Klein jeans and underwear licenses.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgStefan Larsson becomes CEO in February and launches the PVH+ Plan.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSells the Van Heusen, IZOD, ARROW and Geoffrey Beene trademarks to Authentic Brands Group for about $220 million.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgQ1 2026 Results Update Outlook
PVH reports Q1 2026 revenue of $2.025B, DTC revenue growth of 6%, and updates FY2026 revenue guidance to approximately flat while reaffirming about 8.8% non-GAAP operating margin guidance.
Source: pvh.comQ2 2026 results and new CFO
PVH reports Q2 2026 revenue of $2.097B (down 3%), a $439M impairment and GAAP net loss of $102.9M, reaffirms its full-year non-GAAP outlook and names Alexis Rollier CFO.
Source: pvh.comMajor Acquisitions
Calvin Klein
2003PVH acquired Calvin Klein for $430 million, adding a globally recognized premium fashion brand to its portfolio.
Tommy Hilfiger
2010PVH acquired Tommy Hilfiger for about $3 billion, expanding its global lifestyle-fashion footprint with the well-known American brand under then-CEO Manny Chirico.
Warnaco Group
2013PVH acquired Warnaco Group for about $2.9 billion to consolidate Calvin Klein jeans and underwear licensing, which Warnaco had previously held, giving PVH full direct control of the Calvin Klein brand.
Izod
1995PVH Corp. acquired Izod in 1995.
Keep researching PVH
PVH Company History FAQ
What are the major historical milestones in the 140+ year history of PVH Corp.?
Key milestones include the 1881 founding in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, the 1919 Van Heusen collar partnership, the Calvin Klein acquisition in 2003, the Tommy Hilfiger acquisition in 2010, the rename to PVH Corp. in 2011, the Warnaco acquisition in 2013, Stefan Larsson becoming CEO in 2021 and the sale of the Heritage Brands trademarks in 2021.
When and why did the company rebrand from Phillips-Van Heusen to PVH Corp.?
In 2011, following the transformational acquisition of Tommy Hilfiger, the company officially shortened its corporate name from Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation to 'PVH Corp.' to reflect its evolution from an American dress shirtmaker into a diversified global fashion conglomerate.
How did Calvin Klein transform popular culture in the 1980s and 1990s?
Calvin Klein redefined global fashion marketing through provocative, boundary-pushing advertising: Brooke Shields' famous 1980 denim commercials ('Nothing comes between me and my Calvins'), Mark Wahlberg and Kate Moss in Calvin Klein Underwear in 1992, and the launch of the first unisex fragrance, CK One, in 1994.
How did Tommy Hilfiger become the defining brand of 1990s hip-hop and streetwear?
In the 1990s, Tommy Hilfiger's oversized, bold logo apparel was organically embraced by hip-hop royalty, famously worn by Snoop Dogg on Saturday Night Live in 1994, Aaliyah, and Grand Puba, transforming the brand into a global streetwear and pop-culture phenomenon.
How has PVH modernized its brand campaigns for Gen Z and global digital audiences?
PVH modernized Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger through viral social media marketing, tapping global pop culture icons including Jeremy Allen White, Blackpink's Jennie, BTS's Jungkook, and Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton to generate billions of social media impressions.
When and where was PVH Corp. originally founded?
PVH Corp. traces its roots to 1881 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, where Prussian immigrant Moses Phillips and his wife Endel began sewing shirts by hand and selling them from pushcarts to local coal miners.
What was the origin of the "Van Heusen" brand name?
In 1919, Dutch inventor John Manning Van Heusen patented a revolutionary soft-folding, starch-free collar; he partnered with Moses Phillips’ sons in 1921 to form the Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation.
When did PVH acquire Calvin Klein?
PVH acquired Calvin Klein, Inc. in February 2003 for approximately $400 million in cash plus royalties, transforming the mid-market dress shirt manufacturer into a global lifestyle and luxury licensing titan.
When and why did PVH acquire Tommy Hilfiger?
In May 2010, PVH completed a transformative $3.0 billion acquisition of Tommy Hilfiger from private equity firm Apax Partners, establishing a dominant premium apparel powerhouse across North America and Europe.
What was the significance of the 2013 Warnaco Group acquisition?
In February 2013, PVH acquired The Warnaco Group for $2.9 billion, bringing the global Calvin Klein Jeans and Calvin Klein Underwear licenses—previously licensed out—directly back in-house under PVH’s unified control.
Why did PVH divest its Heritage Brands in 2021?
In 2021, PVH sold its legacy Heritage Brands (including Van Heusen, Arrow, IZOD, and Geoffrey Beene) to Authentic Brands Group for $220 million to streamline its operating model and focus 100% of resources on Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger.
What is the "PVH+ Plan" introduced under CEO Stefan Larsson?
Introduced in 2022, the PVH+ Plan is a multi-year strategic turnaround roadmap focused on product excellence, consumer engagement, digital marketplace expansion, and demand-driven supply chain efficiency.
How did PVH evolve its corporate name from Phillips-Van Heusen?
In June 2011, shareholders approved changing the legal corporate name from Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation to PVH Corp. to better represent its diversified portfolio of global mega-brands.
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