Calvin Klein inches closer to naming Raf Simons creative director

Calvin Klein pre-spring 2017

In the coming days, PVH Corp., the owner of U.S. fashion label Calvin Klein, is expected to confirm its appointment of Raf Simons after months of speculation.

Nearly a year has passed since Mr. Simons stepped down as the creative director of women’s wear at Christian Dior, with his former employer only naming Maria Grazia Chiuri, formerly co-creative director at Valentino, as his successor last month (see story). While Mr. Simons’ appointment has not been announced officially, there has been significant internal changes at Calvin Klein and its founding designers’ loose lips have fueled rumors of the inevitable hire.

Calvin Klein was sold to PVH Corp. in 2002.

Spill it
In April, Calvin Klein’s women’s wear creative director Francisco Costa and menswear head Italo Zucchelli exited the brand. Following the announcement, Calvin Klein said it was shifting its creative strategy, placing the entire brand under one person’s vision.

Calvin Klein has been working to build itself into a $10 billion fashion business, a strategy that saw it buy back its jeans and underwear lines in 2013. Now, it has decided to unite all aspects of its business, including the high-end men’s and women’s wear runway collections, under one collective vision (see story).

Bella Hadid for Calvin Klein underwear 

Following the exits of Mr. Costa and Mr. Zucchelli, Calvin Klein has not named the talent who will design its new approach. But, the industry had a hunch, with Mr. Klein himself not keeping the secret very guarded.

During an interview with Sirius XM’s Andy Cohen in June, Mr. Klein said, “They just finally made changes in the design staff. They won’t announce [the designer’s name] publicly because it’s under contract. But the whole industry knows.”

While Mr. Klein’s comments are not very subtle at pointing to Mr. Simons, he continued saying, “They are doing something that I had hoped they would have done, which is replace me… Find someone who can, with a singular vision, oversee everything that is creative” (see story).

Raf Simons, in the film “Dior & I” 

Since exiting Dior, Mr. Simons has dedicated his time to working on his namesake label, a desire many creative talents have expressed when parting ways with fashion houses. Mr. Simons’ spring/summer 2017 collection was presented at Pitti Uomo in Florence on June 16.

Mr. Simons was said by sources to be under a non-compete agreement with Dior until the end of July. The designer has also relocated to New York to begin meeting with Calvin Klein executives.

The first collection Mr. Simons will design for Calvin Klein is expected to be fall 2017.

from Apparel and accessories – Luxury Daily https://www.luxurydaily.com/calvin-klein-inches-closer-to-naming-raf-simons-creative-director/
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