Calvin Klein Collection
Encyclopedia
Calvin Klein Collection is the brand name for the costly high-end designer menswear and womenswear lines from fashion house Calvin Klein
.
Designer apparel, dresses, coats, dress shirts, eyewear, footwear and leather goods are sold under this 'black label' line which represents the top level in the brand pyramid of the various Calvin Klein brands.
brands owned by Calvin Klein Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary
of Phillips Van Heusen
(PVH). PVH
describes the Collection as "the most prestigious and luxurious brand, setting the tone of elegance and modern sophistication for all of the other Calvin Klein brands."
Collection women's dress
es retail at about US$700–1,400, but can cost up to $3,000 or more. A men's suit
enters at around US$1,300. These prices are significantly higher than those for comparable, mass-produced items in the company's sportswear lines.
Calvin Klein Collection clothing is presented bi-annually during the New York Fashion Week
(womenswear) and Milan
Fashion Week (menswear). For the fall/winter 2009-10 shows
at New York Fashion Week
in February 2009, "as a one-off event" and at the occasion of the brand's 40th anniversary, Calvin Klein Collection menswear returned to New York City
"after years of showing in Milan
". The spring/summer 2010 collection was shown in Milan
again as it had always been clear that “the brand plans to return to the runway in Milan for future shows”.
The label
sewn
into the clothes used to be off-white
with black
characters
until fall 2004. Presently, it is black
with a tonal logotype as shown above. The signature font
has not changed.
decided in 2003 to license
the Collection business, the design of Calvin Klein Collection had been managed out of the label's West 39th Street headquarters
in New York City
by Mr. Klein and his design staff, even though the pieces were European-produced. The worldwide license
for the Collection was then held from 2003 by Vestimenta SpA, an Italian high-fashion manufacturer
, whose bankruptcy
led Fingen SpA of Italy (the parent of the licensees for Calvin Klein Jeanswear in Europe and Asia and ck Calvin Klein bridge apparel in Europe) to take over the license starting with the Spring 2006 line in the form of a subsidiary
named CMI (Confezioni Moda Italia). In late 2005, the New York-based Warnaco Group
, an apparel manufacturer
that already cooperates
with Calvin Klein
in their sportswear and Jeans business on the US market, arranged to acquire the worldwide license
from "Florence-based Fingen SpA for $286 million" for the 2008 to 2013 period. However, in December 2007 it was announced that PVH
will take design and production duties for the collection back in-house to regain full control of the label and Warnaco
will instead receive the rights to operate Calvin Klein Jeans retail stores in Europe, Asia and Latin America and ck Calvin Klein accessories stores in Europe and Latin America.
was sold to PVH
in late 2002, Mr. Klein himself oversaw the design of the women's and men's collection. After the sale he functioned as a creative consultant
for a short time and was later released from all duties within the company.
The current creative director for Calvin Klein Collection for women is Brazil
ian-born Francisco Costa, a former Gucci
designer, who had already worked with Mr. Klein directly before the founder’s departure from the company.
Italo Zucchelli
, a former Jil Sander
and Romeo Gigli designer, had worked as a senior menswear designer at Calvin Klein
for six seasons before he became head designer of the Calvin Klein Collection menswear line in spring 2004.
Ulrich Grimm is the director of men’s and women’s Collection shoes and accessories.
and AJ Abualrub. Models for past seasons include Kate Moss
, Christy Turlington
, Toni Garrn
, Suvi Koponen
, and Andrew Stetson
.
For Fall 2010, Lara Stone
has been exclusively signed for the women's apparel advertising campaigns for Calvin Klein Collection, as well as ck Calvin Klein
and Calvin Klein Jeans. The men’s Collection campaign features David Agbodji.
operates only one store under the Calvin Klein Collection brand:
The Paris
store at 53, Avenue Montaigne closed in March 2006 because PVH
decided it was unprofitable. It was the label's only international signature outlet owned by PVH
. The space is now occupied by German
fashion company Escada
. A third store in Dallas' Highland Park was closed after 20 years in January 2006 for the same above-mentioned reason. There are other international locations, such as London
, Paris
, Madrid
, Barcelona
, Dubai
, Qatar
, Shanghai
, Beijing
, Seoul
, Daegu
and Melbourne
where Calvin Klein Collection stores or shop-in-shops can be found that are maintained by partners.
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
.
Designer apparel, dresses, coats, dress shirts, eyewear, footwear and leather goods are sold under this 'black label' line which represents the top level in the brand pyramid of the various Calvin Klein brands.
Overview
Calvin Klein Collection is one of several Calvin KleinCalvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
brands owned by Calvin Klein Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
of Phillips Van Heusen
Phillips Van Heusen
PVH Corp is an American apparel company, and the world's largest shirt company. It owns brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Van Heusen, Izod, Arrow, G. H...
(PVH). PVH
Phillips Van Heusen
PVH Corp is an American apparel company, and the world's largest shirt company. It owns brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Van Heusen, Izod, Arrow, G. H...
describes the Collection as "the most prestigious and luxurious brand, setting the tone of elegance and modern sophistication for all of the other Calvin Klein brands."
Collection women's dress
Dress
A dress is a garment consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice or with a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment.Dress may also refer to:*Clothing in general*Costume, fancy dress...
es retail at about US$700–1,400, but can cost up to $3,000 or more. A men's suit
Suit (clothing)
In clothing, a suit is a set of garments made from the same cloth, consisting of at least a jacket and trousers. Lounge suits are the most common style of Western suit, originating in the United Kingdom as country wear...
enters at around US$1,300. These prices are significantly higher than those for comparable, mass-produced items in the company's sportswear lines.
Calvin Klein Collection clothing is presented bi-annually during the New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week
The semi-annual New York Fashion Week, branded Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek in 2009, is held in February and September of each year in New York City. It is one of four major fashion weeks held around the world .-History:The first New York Fashion Week, then called Press Week, was the world's first...
(womenswear) and Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
Fashion Week (menswear). For the fall/winter 2009-10 shows
Fashion show
A fashion show is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase his or her upcoming line of clothing during Fashion Week. Fashion shows debut every season, particularly the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter seasons. This is where the latest fashion trends are made...
at New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week
The semi-annual New York Fashion Week, branded Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek in 2009, is held in February and September of each year in New York City. It is one of four major fashion weeks held around the world .-History:The first New York Fashion Week, then called Press Week, was the world's first...
in February 2009, "as a one-off event" and at the occasion of the brand's 40th anniversary, Calvin Klein Collection menswear returned to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
"after years of showing in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
". The spring/summer 2010 collection was shown in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
again as it had always been clear that “the brand plans to return to the runway in Milan for future shows”.
The label
Label
A label is a piece of paper, polymer, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or article, on which is printed a legend, information concerning the product, addresses, etc. A label may also be printed directly on the container or article....
sewn
Sewing
Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era...
into the clothes used to be off-white
Eggshell (colour)
The color eggshell is displayed at right.The color eggshell is a representation of the average color of a chicken egg. Since the color of chicken eggs may vary between pale brown and white, this color is an average between those colors, closer to white than pale brown since more chicken eggs are...
with black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
characters
Glyph
A glyph is an element of writing: an individual mark on a written medium that contributes to the meaning of what is written. A glyph is made up of one or more graphemes....
until fall 2004. Presently, it is black
Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
with a tonal logotype as shown above. The signature font
Typeface
In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
has not changed.
Licensing and Production
Before PVHPhillips Van Heusen
PVH Corp is an American apparel company, and the world's largest shirt company. It owns brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Van Heusen, Izod, Arrow, G. H...
decided in 2003 to license
License
The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
the Collection business, the design of Calvin Klein Collection had been managed out of the label's West 39th Street headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
by Mr. Klein and his design staff, even though the pieces were European-produced. The worldwide license
License
The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
for the Collection was then held from 2003 by Vestimenta SpA, an Italian high-fashion manufacturer
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
, whose bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
led Fingen SpA of Italy (the parent of the licensees for Calvin Klein Jeanswear in Europe and Asia and ck Calvin Klein bridge apparel in Europe) to take over the license starting with the Spring 2006 line in the form of a subsidiary
Subsidiary
A subsidiary company, subsidiary, or daughter company is a company that is completely or partly owned and wholly controlled by another company that owns more than half of the subsidiary's stock. The subsidiary can be a company, corporation, or limited liability company. In some cases it is a...
named CMI (Confezioni Moda Italia). In late 2005, the New York-based Warnaco Group
Warnaco Group
The Warnaco Group, Inc. is an American textile/apparel corporation which designs, sources, markets, licenses, and distributes a wide range of intimate apparel, sportswear, and swimwear worldwide. Its products are sold under several brand names including Calvin Klein, Speedo, Chaps, Warner's, and...
, an apparel manufacturer
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
that already cooperates
Cooperation
Cooperation or co-operation is the process of working or acting together. In its simplest form it involves things working in harmony, side by side, while in its more complicated forms, it can involve something as complex as the inner workings of a human being or even the social patterns of a...
with Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
in their sportswear and Jeans business on the US market, arranged to acquire the worldwide license
License
The verb license or grant licence means to give permission. The noun license or licence refers to that permission as well as to the document recording that permission.A license may be granted by a party to another party as an element of an agreement...
from "Florence-based Fingen SpA for $286 million" for the 2008 to 2013 period. However, in December 2007 it was announced that PVH
Phillips Van Heusen
PVH Corp is an American apparel company, and the world's largest shirt company. It owns brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Van Heusen, Izod, Arrow, G. H...
will take design and production duties for the collection back in-house to regain full control of the label and Warnaco
Warnaco Group
The Warnaco Group, Inc. is an American textile/apparel corporation which designs, sources, markets, licenses, and distributes a wide range of intimate apparel, sportswear, and swimwear worldwide. Its products are sold under several brand names including Calvin Klein, Speedo, Chaps, Warner's, and...
will instead receive the rights to operate Calvin Klein Jeans retail stores in Europe, Asia and Latin America and ck Calvin Klein accessories stores in Europe and Latin America.
Designers at Calvin Klein Collection
Before the house of Calvin KleinCalvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
was sold to PVH
Phillips Van Heusen
PVH Corp is an American apparel company, and the world's largest shirt company. It owns brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Van Heusen, Izod, Arrow, G. H...
in late 2002, Mr. Klein himself oversaw the design of the women's and men's collection. After the sale he functioned as a creative consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
for a short time and was later released from all duties within the company.
The current creative director for Calvin Klein Collection for women is Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian-born Francisco Costa, a former Gucci
Gucci
The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci , is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR...
designer, who had already worked with Mr. Klein directly before the founder’s departure from the company.
Italo Zucchelli
Italo Zucchelli
Italo Zucchelli is an Italian fashion designer, best known as the Men's Creative Director of Calvin Klein Collection.-Early life:...
, a former Jil Sander
Jil Sander
Heidemarie Jiline 'Jil' Sander is a minimalist German fashion designer and the founder of the Jil Sander fashion house....
and Romeo Gigli designer, had worked as a senior menswear designer at Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
for six seasons before he became head designer of the Calvin Klein Collection menswear line in spring 2004.
Ulrich Grimm is the director of men’s and women’s Collection shoes and accessories.
Calvin Klein Collection Advertising
The Calvin Klein Collection advertisements use two "house/signature" models every season (one male, one female) to advertise the brand, in addition to modeling on the runway. The models for the 2009/2010 season are Anna SeleznevaAnna Selezneva
-Early life:Selezneva was born July 29, 1990 in Moscow to a Russian father and an Armenian mother. She was discovered in 2007 at a McDonald's. Not long after, she negotiated an exclusive contract with Silent Models and landed in the couture capital, Paris, two months later.-Career:At the spring...
and AJ Abualrub. Models for past seasons include Kate Moss
Kate Moss
Kate Moss is an English model. Moss is known for her waifish figure and popularising the heroin chic look in the 1990s. She is also known for her controversial private life, high profile relationships, party lifestyle, and drug use. Moss changed the look of modelling and started a global debate on...
, Christy Turlington
Christy Turlington
Christy Turlington Burns is an American model best known for representing Calvin Klein from 1987 to 2007. She has worked on dozens of modeling contracts with companies including Maybelline Cosmetics and Versace. Turlington starred in her fashion documentary Catwalk and Isaac Mizrahi's Unzipped...
, Toni Garrn
Toni Garrn
Toni Garrn is a German model. She was discovered by German model agency Modelwerk during the FIFA World Cup 2006 in her hometown, and then signed with New York agency Women Management....
, Suvi Koponen
Suvi Koponen
Suvi Maria Koponen is a Finnish fashion model who rose to fame after winning the 2005 Mallikoulu contest in Finland, which can be compared with America's Next Top Model, although it is not affiliated with the Top Model franchise.Koponen has established a credible modeling career...
, and Andrew Stetson
Andrew Stetson
Andrew Stetson is a Canadian male model.-Career:Andrew Stetson worked as a carpenter before becoming a fashion model at the age of 19...
.
For Fall 2010, Lara Stone
Lara Stone
Lara Catherina Stone is a Dutch model.On February 19, 2010, she was tabulated as the world's number-one fashion model on the international modelling site models.com's Top 50 Models Women ranking, a position she maintains as of November 2011...
has been exclusively signed for the women's apparel advertising campaigns for Calvin Klein Collection, as well as ck Calvin Klein
Ck Calvin Klein
ck Calvin Klein is the bridge collection for Calvin Klein. ck Calvin Klein apparel is presently distributed for women and men exclusively through licensing partner Onward Kashiyama in Japan, and through free-standing stores operated by licensee Club 21 in Southeast Asia. Licensing partner G.A.V. is...
and Calvin Klein Jeans. The men’s Collection campaign features David Agbodji.
Calvin Klein Collection stores
Currently PVHPhillips Van Heusen
PVH Corp is an American apparel company, and the world's largest shirt company. It owns brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Van Heusen, Izod, Arrow, G. H...
operates only one store under the Calvin Klein Collection brand:
- 654 Madison Ave., New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(flagship store)
The Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
store at 53, Avenue Montaigne closed in March 2006 because PVH
Phillips Van Heusen
PVH Corp is an American apparel company, and the world's largest shirt company. It owns brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Van Heusen, Izod, Arrow, G. H...
decided it was unprofitable. It was the label's only international signature outlet owned by PVH
Phillips Van Heusen
PVH Corp is an American apparel company, and the world's largest shirt company. It owns brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Van Heusen, Izod, Arrow, G. H...
. The space is now occupied by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
fashion company Escada
Escada
Escada is an international luxury fashion group in women's designer clothing. The company has a presence in about 60 different countries. Its main sales markets are North America, western and eastern Europe and Asia. It filed bankruptcy in August 2009, and was acquired by Megha Mittal, in November...
. A third store in Dallas' Highland Park was closed after 20 years in January 2006 for the same above-mentioned reason. There are other international locations, such as London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, Daegu
Daegu
Daegu , also known as Taegu, and officially the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea, the fourth largest after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon, and the third largest metropolitan area in the country with over 2.5 million residents. The city is the capital and principal city of the...
and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
where Calvin Klein Collection stores or shop-in-shops can be found that are maintained by partners.
External links
- Calvin Klein Collection official web site
- Calvin Klein (all brands) official web site
- Calvin Klein introduction page on the PVH web site
- New York Magazine - Calvin Klein Collection profile
- Calvin Klein Collection womenswear at style.com
- Calvin Klein Collection menswear at men.style.com
- Callection calvin klein