Tommy Hilfiger Gets $50 Million for Aspen Ski Home With Help From Steven Shane

Tommy Hilfiger is originally from ElMira, NY and had a small clothing store in Ithaca, NY. In 1978 I was attending college in Ithaca and would wear Tommy’s clothes from People’s Place. In turn he threw me a pair of jeans every now and then. Tommy tells everyone I was his first model. Coincidentally, my wife Clare went to SMU and her sorority big sister was Tommy’s wife Dee Ocleppo. Having a relationship with them that had been nurtured for a long time resulted in a strong bond consisting of trust. This bond allowed me to guide them in their journey of searching for a new home. 

Tommy and Dee Hilfiger, in addition to being fashion aficionados, have bought and sold some of the world’s most iconic properties. I understood that I needed to find them something out of the ordinary. This market area in Aspen attracts a plethora of high net-worth individuals, entertainers, sports personalities, and Olympians. We were able to identify one of the only single family homes located on Aspen Mountain. This ski-in, ski-out home had been in the same family for 20 years. We had considered a variety of other homes but none resonated with my friends Tommy and Dee like this one. This four bedroom, 7150 square foot chalet will provide years of making magical memories for generations to come. 

This relationship between us is not solely a transactional relationship, but rather a lasting friendship built upon trust, knowledge and experience. When long term relationships are formed in such a way it allows for an ease of transactions and a much higher comfort level for clients. This story is just one example of the multitude of reasons why Sports & Entertainment Division agents are most suited to assist exclusive clientele.

Continued on The Wall Street Journal:

In Aspen’s booming luxury market, fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger has sold a slopeside mansion for $50 million, roughly three months after buying it for nearly $31 million. 

The ski-in, ski-out home traded in an off-market deal that closed Tuesday, said Steven Shane of Compass, who represented both parties in the transaction. He declined to disclose the identity of the buyer. Mr. Hilfiger and his wife, Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger, bought the Aspen Mountain property in December, property records show. 

Mr. Hilfiger declined to comment. The designer, known for his all-American clothing brand, is also a prolific house renovator. Last year, the Hilfigers traded a grand Connecticut estate for a mansion in Palm Beach, The Wall Street Journal reported. 

Mr. Shane said the Hilfigers had spent several years looking for a “legacy property” in Aspen to remodel and make their own. “It was never their intention to buy it and sell it,” he said. “It’s difficult to pry a property like this one away, but I think everything has a price.” 

Built in 2003, the house is about 7,150 square feet with four bedrooms, Mr. Shane said. It is located on the Little Nell ski trail on Aspen Mountain.

The Hilfigers bought the home from the family of the late Cynthia and George P.Mitchell, property records show. Mr. Mitchell was a Texas real-estate developer and oil baron who pioneered fracking.

Thanks to limited inventory and high demand, Aspen’s luxury market is burgeoning. Last year, a mansion overlooking the tony ski town sold for a record $72.5 million, the Journal reported. A mountaintop mansion recently traded for $40 million. 

Mr. Shane said he’s doing an increasing number of off-market deals. “When somebody wants something, they buy it,” he said. “Most often it will be worth more tomorrow than what they paid for it today.”