Calvin Klein (fashion house) facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Fashion |
| Founded | 1968 |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters |
New York City
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U.S.
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Products | Apparel, perfume, undergarments, watches, etc. |
| Services | Retailing |
| Revenue |  US$3.78 billion (2022) |
| Parent | PVH (2002–present) |
Calvin Klein Inc. is a well-known American fashion company. It sells its famous branded products all over the world. The company became very popular in the 1980s for its designer underwear and denim (jeans) clothes.
Calvin Klein makes clothes for everyone, including leather items, accessories, shoes, and even things for your home. They also create perfumes, eyewear, jewelry, and watches. These items are usually in the mid-price range. The company used to have a very high-end fashion line, but that was stopped in 2019.
The company was started in 1968 by designer Calvin Klein and his friend, Barry K. Schwartz. Later, in 2003, a company called PVH Corp. bought Calvin Klein Inc. for about $700 million. Calvin Klein's main office is in New York City. The brand is very popular globally. In 2013, PVH also bought another big company called Warnaco Group, which made many Calvin Klein products, for $2.8 billion. In 2022, all the Calvin Klein brand sales around the world, including products made by other companies under license, added up to $9.3 billion.
Contents
The Story of Calvin Klein
How it All Began
Calvin Klein grew up in the Bronx, New York. He was one of several famous designers from that area.
In 1968, Calvin Klein started his first business, Calvin Klein Limited. It was a small coat shop in a hotel in New York City, and he started it with $10,000. His very first collection featured "youthful, understated coats and dresses." These were shown at a New York City store called Bonwit Teller.
In September 1969, Calvin Klein was featured on the cover of Vogue magazine. This was a big step for his career.
Growing in the 1970s
In 1973, Calvin Klein won his first Coty American Fashion Critics' Award. He was the youngest person to win it at that time. He won this award again in 1974 and 1975. By 1977, the company's yearly sales had grown to $30 million. Calvin Klein also started licensing his name for other products like scarves, shoes, belts, and sunglasses. This means other companies could make these items and use the Calvin Klein name.
After adding licenses for cosmetics, jeans, and menswear, Calvin Klein's total sales were estimated at $100 million. In 1978, Klein said they sold 200,000 pairs of his famous jeans in just the first week! By 1981, Fortune magazine estimated Klein's yearly income at $8.5 million. In the mid-1970s, he started a trend by putting his name on the back pocket of jeans.
The 1980s and 1990s
The 1980s saw a big change in men's underwear fashion. Before Calvin Klein, most men's underwear was plain white. But Calvin Klein helped make men care about the brand of their underwear.
Even though the company almost went bankrupt in 1992, Calvin Klein managed to become very successful again in the late 1990s. This was mostly thanks to its popular underwear and perfume lines, as well as the 'ck' sportswear line. During his time as head of menswear design for Calvin Klein, John Varvatos helped create a new type of men's underwear called boxer briefs. These are a mix of boxer shorts and briefs. They became very famous after ads in 1992 featuring Mark Wahlberg.
Calvin Klein Joins PVH
In December 2002, Calvin Klein Inc. was sold to Phillips Van Heusen Corp (PVH). PVH paid about $400 million in cash, plus stock and future payments based on sales.
PVH also bought Warnaco Group in February 2013 for $2.8 billion. This brought all the different Calvin Klein clothing lines, like formal wear, underwear, jeans, and sportswear, under one company. In 2020, PVH announced that Calvin Klein would stop using exotic animal skins in its collections.
Calvin Klein Products and Brands
Calvin Klein has many different product lines. Here are some of the most well-known:
- Calvin Klein Collection (This was a very high-end designer line. It was stopped in 2019 but will be brought back in 2025.)
- ck Calvin Klein (This line is a step below the Collection, offering stylish clothes.)
- Calvin Klein (This is the main line for everyday sportswear.)
- Calvin Klein Sport (A sports version of the main line.)
- Calvin Klein Jeans (This line focuses on denim clothes like jeans.)
- Calvin Klein Home (This includes items for your home, like bedding and towels.)
- Calvin Klein Golf (This line was launched in 2007 for golf clothing.)
- Calvin Klein Underwear (This line is famous for its underwear collections.)
- CK one Lifestyle brand (This brand includes fragrance, underwear, and jeans.)
- Calvin Klein Watches + Jewelry (Watches were launched in 1997, and jewelry in 2004.)
Fragrances
Calvin Klein is also known for its many perfumes and colognes. Some popular ones include Obsession, CK Be, and Eternity. For a long time, these fragrances were managed by a company called Calvin Klein Cosmetics Company. But in 2005, a big cosmetics company called Coty, Inc. bought the rights to make Calvin Klein fragrances.
The "ck" Logo
Like many fashion brands, Calvin Klein has its own special logo: the "ck" emblem. This logo is easily recognized on many of their products.
Designers at Calvin Klein
When PVH Corp. bought Calvin Klein in 2003, Francisco Costa became the Women's Creative Director for the Calvin Klein Collection. He had worked with Calvin Klein himself before.
Italo Zucchelli became the Men's Creative Director for the Calvin Klein Collection menswear line in 2004. He had worked with Calvin Klein for several seasons before that. In April 2016, both Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli left the company.
In August 2016, Raf Simons was named the Chief Creative Officer for Calvin Klein. He was in charge of all design, marketing, and creative services for the brand. He oversaw all the different Calvin Klein lines, from ready-to-wear to underwear. However, in December 2018, Raf Simons left Calvin Klein after two years.
In November 2020, Jessica Lomax was appointed Global Head of Design. She leads the design strategy for all Calvin Klein products. In May 2024, Veronica Leoni was named Creative Director for the brand's revived Collection line.
Calvin Klein Stores
Calvin Klein Collection Stores
In the late 1990s, Calvin Klein opened fancy "Calvin Klein Collection" stores in cities like Paris and Seoul. They also had high-end "cK Calvin Klein" stores in places like Hong Kong and Milan. However, most of these stores are now closed. The last main store in New York City closed in spring 2019. But partners still run Calvin Klein Collection stores in some cities like Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Dubai.
Calvin Klein (White Label) Stores
There are also special Calvin Klein stores, often found in shopping malls. These stores sell the "white label" sportswear. There are also many Calvin Klein Outlet stores, usually in factory outlet malls. These stores sell the white label sportswear and sometimes other Calvin Klein items at lower prices.
Calvin Klein Jeans Stores
Calvin Klein Jeans stores are located all over the world. You can find them in countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, India, and Australia.
Calvin Klein Underwear Boutiques
You can find special Calvin Klein Underwear stores in many cities. Some of these include Ljubljana, Buenos Aires, London, New York City, Shanghai, and Toronto.
Department Stores
Many large department stores in the US, like Macy's and Nordstrom, sell Calvin Klein clothes. Some very high-end department stores, like Saks Fifth Avenue, also carry the Calvin Klein Collection. In the UK, stores like John Lewis sell Calvin Klein. In Australia, Myer is a major retailer for the brand. You can also find Calvin Klein products online, especially underwear and fragrances.
Europe and Asia
In Europe, Calvin Klein is mostly known for its underwear, accessories, and the high-end Collection. The medium-priced sportswear lines are available in select stores. In Asia, there are also "ck Calvin Klein" stores that sell the grey label line, which includes clothes for men and women, and accessories.
See also
In Spanish: Calvin Klein para niños
- Bonds (clothing)
- Gap Inc.
- H&M
- Zara (retailer)
- Desigual
