Calvin Klein Collection

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.

Overview

Calvin Klein Collection is one of several Calvin Klein 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.

Calvin Klein Collection women's dresses retail at about US$ 700-1,400 but can cost up to $3,000 or more. A men's suit costs around US$ 1,300. These prices are significantly higher than those for comparable 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).

The label sewn into the clothes used to be off-white with black characters until 2004. Presently, it is black with a tonal logotype as shown above. The signature font has not changed.

Licensing and Production

Before PVH 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, 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 accessories 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 Klein 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 some time and was later released from all duties within the company.

The current creative director for Calvin Klein Collection for women is Brazilian-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 collaborated with 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.

Calvin Klein Collection stores

Currently PVH operates only one store under the Calvin Klein Collection brand:
* 654 Madison Ave., New York (flagship store)

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 Milan, Dubai and Beijing, where Calvin Klein Collection stores can be found that are maintained by partners.

External links

* [http://www.calvinkleincollection.com/ Calvin Klein official web site]
* [http://www.pvh.com/Brand_CK_Collection.html Calvin Klein Collection home page at the PVH web site]
* [http://www.vogue.co.uk/shows/photos/Default.aspx?ShowID=5225 Calvin Klein Collection womenswear Spring/Summer 2008 at vogue.co.uk]
* [http://www.vogue.co.uk/shows/photos/Default.aspx?ShowID=4958 Calvin Klein Collection menswear Spring/Summer 2008 at vogue.co.uk]
* [http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/F2007MEN/review/CKMEN Calvin Klein Collection menswear Fall/Winter 2007 at style.com]
* [http://www.style.com/fashionshows/collections/S2007RTW/review/CKLEIN Calvin Klein Collection womenswear Spring/Summer 2007 at style.com]

ources

* [http://www.webprowire.com/summaries/1143078.html Forbes: Fingen SpA To Produce Calvin Klein Collection] (3 Oct 2005)
* [http://www.financials.com/info/story.cfm?storynum=1765714 PR Newswire: Calvin Klein Collection entrusted to Warnaco] (20 Dec 2005)
* [http://www.newyorkmetro.com/fashion/fashionshows/designers/bios/calvinklein/ New York Magazine: Calvin Klein Collection profile]