Calvin Klein (fashion house)
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[edit]
The early years[edit]
Calvin Klein was one of several design leaders raised in the Jewish community in the Bronx, along with Robert Denning and Ralph Lauren.[6] He became a protégé of Baron de Gunzburg.[7]
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]
Advertising and social media campaigns[edit]
Brand ambassadors[edit]
Calvin Klein has filmed advertising and social media campaigns with a network of celebrities, some of whom serve as brand ambassadors. Their brand ambassadors, include: Kendall Jenner, Jennie, Hailey and Justin Bieber, Disha Patani, HoYeon Jung, Bella Hadid, Kaia Gerber and Jung Kook.[37][38][39][40][41][42][43]
Models[edit]
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[edit]
Many female football stars like Alex Morgan, Chloe Kelly, and Mary Fowler advertised nothing but their underwear.[54]
Controversies[edit]
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."
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]