Calvin Klein

The Label

Calvin Klein kicked off his label with a collection in 1968, when he and childhood buddy/business partner Barry Schwartz launched a line of men’s and women’s coats at retailer Bonwit Teller. Today, the iconic American label grosses $3-$5 billion annually, thanks mainly to its designer jeans, underwear and fragrance divisions. A true lifestyle brand, Calvin Klein also produces eyewear, eveningwear and home collections, and has expanded its sophisticated, high-end apparel line to include career casuals for women, men and kids. Spare, clean shapes and modern lines characterize the collections, which look tailor-made for both the glitterati of Hollywood and the literati of New York. One of the great American fashion houses, on par with Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan, the company is known as much for its minimalist fashions as for its pioneering marketing and advertising campaigns: Brooke and her jeans, Kate and her Obsession, Mark and his tighty-white-ies. It’s a testament to Klein, who checked out of the company when he and Schwartz sold to Phillips-Van Heusen in 2003, that the brand remains competitive with its peers—and that the consistency continues.

The Look

Calvin Clean: Classic, minimalist styles in mostly neutral hues, with no frills or ruffles. Strapless, sculptural, form-fitting columns of silvery silk or jersey for evening; narrow, high-waisted pants worn with cropped, clean-cut riding jackets for day.

The Designer

Then: Born in the Bronx in 1942, award-winning fashion icon and marketing pioneer Calvin Klein honed his style at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, before going on to revolutionize the designer denim and underwear businesses with his overtly sexy ad campaigns.

Now:Brazilian-born Francisco Costa (pictured) began working directly with Klein in early-2002, and later assumed the role of creative director upon his mentor’s departure. Following the modern tone set by his former boss, and keeping the brand’s general aesthetic one of crisp, clean lines, Costa adds his own stamp with accents of geometric grids, origami twists and strips of patent leather. Italo Zucchelli, who collaborated with Klein for six seasons after time spent at both Jil Sander and Romeo Gigli, heads up the menswear collections.