Calvin Klein (fashion house)
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Company type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Industry | Fashion |
Founded | 1968 |
Founders | |
Headquarters | New York City , U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
Products | PVH (2002–present) |
Website | calvinklein |
Calvin Klein Inc. (/klaɪn/) is an American fashion house which markets its eponymously branded products worldwide. The company, which became famous for its designer underwear and denim lines in the 1980s, specializes in mass-market ready-to-wear clothing for all genders and age groups as well as leather products, lifestyle accessories and shoes, home furnishings, perfume/cosmetics, eyewear, jewelry and watches in the mid-price segment. Its high-end runway fashion division, which represented the top level of the various Calvin Klein sub-brands, was discontinued in 2019.
The company was founded by designer Calvin Klein and his childhood friend, Barry K. Schwartz, in 1968[2][3] and was acquired by PVH Corp. for a total of $700 million in 2003. It is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City,[4] and has substantial market share in retail and commercial lines around the globe. In 2013, PVH bought Warnaco Group, one of the largest Calvin Klein licensees, for US$2.8 billion. Global retail sales under the Calvin Klein brand, including sales by the label's licensees, amounted to US$9.3 billion in 2022.[5]
History
The early years
In 1968, Klein founded Calvin Klein Limited, a coat shop in the York Hotel in New York City, with $10,000.[8][9] The first Calvin Klein collection was a line of "youthful, understated coats and dresses" featured at the New York City store Bonwit Teller.[8]
In September 1969, Klein appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine.[10]
1970s
In 1973, he received his first
1980s
The American market of men's underwear was changed – from one where most men's underwear was white, purchased in packs of three by a "wife, mother or girlfriend when they needed to be" to one where "the American male [cares] about the brand of something few ever see".[12]
1990s
Although the company almost faced bankruptcy in 1992, Calvin Klein managed to regain and increase the profitability of his empire throughout the later 1990s, mainly through the success of its highly popular underwear and fragrance lines, as well as the ck sportswear line. During his 1990–1995 stint as Calvin Klein's head of menswear design, John Varvatos pioneered a type of men's underwear called boxer briefs, a hybrid of boxer shorts and briefs.[13] Made famous by a series of 1992 print ads featuring Mark "Marky Mark" Wahlberg,[13][14] they have been called "one of the greatest apparel revolutions of the century."[13]
2002–present: Acquisition by Phillips van Heusen
In mid-December 2002, Calvin Klein Inc. (CKI) was sold to
PVH outbid
The transaction between Calvin Klein and PVH was financially supported by Apax Partners Inc., a New York private equity firm, which is said to have made a $250 million equity investment in PVH convertible preferred stock, as well as a $125 million, two-year secured note, all in exchange for seats on the board of PVH.[19]
Upon the acquisition of Calvin Klein, Phillips-Van Heusen announced plans of launching a new men's sportswear collection that rivals Ralph Lauren's collection. This line is produced by Van Heusen.[20]
In a 2010 report, PVH, who manages the ready-to-wear activities, had estimated sales of €4.6 billion of Calvin Klein products.[21]
In February 2013,
In 2020, PVH announced that as part of their animal welfare policy, the company does not use exotic skins and would be banning their use in Calvin Klein collections when "our annual update of that policy is released."[24]
Product and brand history
The most visible brand names in the Calvin Klein portfolio include:
- Calvin Klein 205W39NYC (black label, upscale[21]top-end designer line discontinued in 2019)
- PVH acquired Warnaco Group in February 2013[22])
- Calvin Klein (white label, basic fashion[21] better sportswear line)
- Calvin Klein Sport (sports version of the white label line for Macy's)
- Calvin Klein Jeans (denimwear line; licensed to PVH acquired Warnaco Group in February 2013[22])
- Calvin Klein Home (high end bedding, towel, bath rug and accessory collections)
- The Khaki Collection (youthful medium to high end bedding, towel, bath rug and accessories) discontinued in 2008
- Calvin Klein Golf (launched in late 2007)
- Calvin Klein Underwear (underwear collections; licensed to Warnaco Group through at least 2044.PVH acquired Warnaco Group in February 2013[22])
- CK one Lifestyle brand (fragrance, underwear, jeans—launched 2011)[26][27]
- Calvin Klein Watches + Jewelry (watches launched in 1997, jewelry in 2004)
For details, see Current brands and licenses.
Fragrances
Calvin Klein has various lines of perfumes and colognes, including Obsession, CK Be, and Eternity. Until May 2005, their perfumes and the corresponding fragrance lines were maintained by Calvin Klein Cosmetics Company (CKCC), a
Branding
Like other fashion brands, Calvin Klein established a monogram: the "ck" emblem.[28]
Licensees
As of 2012, the top three licensees were:
- Warnaco Group – 40% of license royalties, which is "around $100 million"[21]
- Coty – 12% of license royalties[21]
- G-III Apparel Group – 14% of license royalties[21]
Designers
When Calvin Klein was acquired by
Italo Zucchelli, a former Jil Sander and Romeo Gigli designer, had collaborated with Calvin Klein for six seasons before he became head designer and Men's Creative Director of the Calvin Klein Collection menswear line in spring 2004.[30]
In April 2016, it was announced that Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli would be leaving the company.[30]
In August 2016, Calvin Klein, Inc. announced the appointment of Raf Simons as Chief Creative Officer of the brand, overseeing all aspects of design, global market and communications, and visual creative services. Simons assumed the creative strategy of the Calvin Klein brand globally across the company's ready to wear, bridge, sportswear, jeans, underwear and home lines. Pieter Mulier was also announced as Creative Director, reporting directly to Simons and responsible for executing his creative and design vision for men's and women's ready to wear, bridge and better apparel and accessories. It was also announced that Kevin Carrigan resigned from the company for a creative role at Ralph Lauren.[31] Simons's first collections debuted for the Fall 2017 season.[32]
In December 2016, it was announced that Amy Mellen would leave the company.[33]
In January 2017, it was announced that Clémande Burgevin Blachman would assume the role of Vice President of Design for Calvin Klein Home.[34]
In December 2018, it was announced that Raf Simons had parted from Calvin Klein after only two years at the company.[35]
In November 2020, Jessica Lomax was appointed Global Head of Design, leading Calvin Klein's global design strategy and providing creative direction across all areas of the business.[36]
Advertising and social media campaigns
Brand ambassadors
Calvin Klein has filmed
Models
Calvin Klein has worked with numerous models on advertising and social media campaigns, including: Adwoa Aboah, Jourdan Dunn, Ashley Graham, Imaan Hammam, Karlie Kloss, Simon Nessman, Sean O'Pry, Emily Ratajkowski, Lucky Blue Smith, and Liu Wen.[44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53]
Athletes
Many female football stars like Alex Morgan, Chloe Kelly, and Mary Fowler advertised nothing but their underwear.[54]
Corporate
Stores
- Calvin Klein Collection
In the late 1990s, the company opened elegant
- Calvin Klein (white label)
Specialty retail Calvin Klein stores, designed by New York architecture firm Lynch/Eisinger/Design have been opened at
- Calvin Klein Jeans
Calvin Klein Jeans stores exist around the globe. Among many other countries in the
- Calvin Klein Underwear
Signature Calvin Klein Underwear boutiques can be found in
- Department Stores
The major department stores in the US, including
. Calvin Klein products are also found online with particular internet focus on selling Calvin Klein underwear and fragrance.- Europe and Asia
In Europe, Calvin Klein is predominantly known for its underwear, accessories and perhaps the Collection business, rather than for the medium-priced sportswear lines which are available at select high-end retail stores. In Asia, there are also signature ck Calvin Klein stores that carry diffusion line, aka grey label including womenswear, menswear, accessories.
Controversies
In 1980, Richard Avedon photographed and directed a Calvin Klein Jeans campaign that featured a fifteen-year-old Brooke Shields. Some of those advertisements were banned, including an infamous advert where Brooke asks, "Do you want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing!," often misquoted as "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins."[citation needed]
The 1995 adverts promoting Calvin Klein jeans received criticism for being "kiddie porn".[57][58][59][60]
In August 2012, Lululemon Athletica filed suit against Calvin Klein and supplier G-III Apparel Group for infringement of three Lululemon design patents for yoga pants.[61] The lawsuit was somewhat unusual as it involved a designer seeking to assert intellectual property protection in clothing through patent rights. On November 20, 2012, Lululemon filed a notice of voluntary dismissal in the Delaware courts based upon a private settlement agreement reached between the parties that would dismiss the suit.[62] According to a Lululemon press release, "Lululemon values its products and related IP rights and takes the necessary steps to protect its assets when we see attempts to mirror our products.”[63]
However, according to Chevalier's brand book Luxury Brand Management, Klein "is seldom involved in the design and the development of products bearing his name"[21] and "all activities are subcontracted to licensees."[21]
In 2014, Klein was criticized for the designation of Myla Dalbesio in its "Perfectly Fit" which offended many women as it is made for plus sizes.[64]
In 2020, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute accused at least 82 major brands, including Calvin Klein, of being connected to forced Uyghur labor in Xinjiang.[65]
Research of the social democratic party in the European Parliament, the Sheffield Hallam University and further Groups accuses Calvin Klein in 2023 of using Uyghur forced labour camps provided by the Sunrise Manufacture Group Co. for production.[66]
See also
References
- PVH. March 27, 2023. Retrieved December 5, 2023.
- ISBN 978-0-471-45563-9. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
- ^ "Calvin Klein unaccessorizes its desk jockeys". The Toronto Star. August 12, 2004.
- ^
"Tommy Hilfiger". PVH. Retrieved December 4, 2023.
- ^ "Calvin Klein Fashion - Designer Profile". Fashiondesign.org. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- ^ "Calvin j". Citylife.com. Archived from the original on September 1, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
- ^ a b Grant, Linda (February 23, 1992). "Can Calvin Klein Escape? : He Built an Empire on Raunch and Elegance. Then, Overpriced Jeans and Junk-Bond Debt Pushed It to the Edge. But Look Out, Here Comes His Spring Collection". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
- ]
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84788-563-0. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 9781412810555.
- ISBN 978-0-471-47895-9. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ^ a b c Gell, Aaron (September 1, 2010). "Rock Steady". Hemispheres. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
- ^ Wilson, Eric (May 12, 2010). "Stretching a Six-Pack". The New York Times. Retrieved June 29, 2014.
- ^ Rozhon, Tracie (December 18, 2002). "Calvin Klein Selling His Company To Biggest Shirtmaker in the U.S." New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
- ^ "Bruce J Klatsky, Gazal Corp Ltd: Profile and Biography". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved September 25, 2020.
- ^ Marsh, Lisa (December 18, 2002). "Phillips-Van Heusen Snags Calvin for $400M in Cash". New York Post. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
- ^ "Warnaco Group Emerges from Bankruptcy". New York Times. February 5, 2003. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
- ^ "Phillips-Van Heusen buttons up purchase of Calvin Klein". Agence France Presse. December 17, 2002.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-118-17176-9.
- ^ a b c d "PVH unites Calvin Klein lines in $2.8 billion deal". Reuters.com. Thomson Reuters. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
- ^ "PVH Corp". www.pvh.com.
- ^ Rosemary Feitelberg,"PVH Corp. Said to Agree to Stop Using Exotic Skins, After Appeals by PETA," WWD, 10 September 2020.
- ^ a b c "WARNACO GROUP INC/ DE/ CIK#: 0000801351". United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
- ^ Ella, Alexander (September 27, 2012). "Ck One Lifestyle". Vogue. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
- ^ "Calvin Klein fragrances". Household & Personal Products Industry. September 1, 2011.
- ^ Johnson, Marylin (September 7, 2003). "Monograms: Initially Rated". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- ^ Rubin, Sylvia (May 12, 2011). "Calvin Klein successor Francisco Costa". The San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ a b Yotka, Steff (April 19, 2016). "Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli Are Leaving Calvin Klein". Vogue.
- ^ Lockwood, Lisa (August 4, 2016). "Kevin Carrigan Resigns at Calvin Klein". WWD. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
- ^ "Raf Simons Takes Over Calvin Klein". August 2, 2016. Retrieved August 2, 2016.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
- ^ Lockwood, Lisa (January 18, 2017). "Calvin Klein Home Names VP of Design". WWD. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
- ^ "Raf Simons Departs Calvin Klein". December 22, 2018.
- ^ "Calvin Klein, Inc. Appoints Jessica Lomax as Global Head of Design". Bloomberg.com. November 18, 2020.
- ^ "JENNIE, JUNG KOOK, KENDALL JENNER AND MORE STAR IN CALVIN KLEIN'S FALL 2023 CAMPAIGN". August 14, 2023.
- ^ "Hailey Bieber for Calvin Klein".
- ^ "Justin Bieber Has Become The New Face — And Pretty Much Every Other Body Part — Of Calvin Klein". Business Insider.
- ^ "Disha Patani sets Instagram on fire while promoting Calvin Klein". January 28, 2020.
- ^ "Squid Game Star HoYeon Jung Takes Over Calvin Klein's Socials". December 10, 2021.
- ^ "Bella Hadid is the star of Calvin Klein's new swim campaign". June 27, 2020.
- ^ "Kaia Gerber Just Posted a Photo In This Iconic $15 Sports Bra". February 10, 2022.
- ^ Cartner-Morley, Jess (June 6, 2017). "Model Adwoa Aboah: 'In 2017, there is more than one way to be beautiful and cool'". The Guardian.
- ^ "Jourdan Dunn Shows off Calvin Klein Bra for #mycalvins". May 2014.
- ^ "Ashley Graham inspires fans with new Calvin Klein campaign: 'Seeing this makes me feel good about myself'". April 24, 2021.
- ^ "Imaan Hammam Celebrates Her Arab Heritage In Vogue Arabia Cover Shoot". May 17, 2020.
- ^ "Karlie Kloss Sports Her Calvins for Amazon Fashion". November 22, 2017.
- ^ "Boyeurism: Simon Nessman". April 7, 2015.
- ^ "Sean O'Pry for CK Calvin Klein Accessories Spring Summer 2011". February 4, 2011.
- ^ "Emily Ratajkowski Goes Topless in #mycalvins Images". September 26, 2014.
- ^ "Lucky Blue and Pyper America! Calvin Klein's Newest Campaign Is a Family Affair". October 6, 2015.
- ^ "Liu Wen for Calvin Klein Platinum Label SS14". January 30, 2014.
- ^ "Alex Morgan Scores Big in Calvin Klein Underwear Ads". July 12, 2023.
- ^ "Calvin klein to close new york flagship featuring raf simons & sterling ruby makeover". January 11, 2019.
- ^ "Chipichape - CALVIN KLEIN". Chipichape - CALVIN KLEIN (in Spanish). Retrieved May 31, 2023.
- ISSN 0028-7369. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ISBN 978-1-84150-348-6. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-8020-9466-7. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-8476-8483-0. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
- ^ Weller, Susan Neuberger (September 21, 2012). "S. 3523: Louboutin, Lululemon, and Fashion Design: Finally Getting Some Respect?". The National Law Review. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
- ^ Weller, Susan Neuberger; Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. (November 27, 2012). "Lululemon and Calvin Klein Settle Yoga Pants Design Litigation". The National Law Review. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "lululemon athletica canada inc., calvin klein, inc. and g-iii apparel group, ltd. reached a settlement agreement in design patent litigation". November 20, 2012.
- ^ Swash, Rosie (November 10, 2014). "Calvin Klein ads featuring 'plus size' model Myla Dalbesio ignite online debate". The Guardian. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
- ^ Xu, Vicky Xiuzhong; Cave, Danielle; Leibold, James; Munro, Kelsey; Ruser, Nathan (March 1, 2020). "Uyghurs for sale". Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
- ^ "Tailoring Responsibility: Tracing Apparel Supply Chains from the Uyghur Region to Europe | Sheffield Hallam University". www.shu.ac.uk. Retrieved March 27, 2024.