Fashion File - Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein - Spring/Summer 2007

A few months before this show, Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa was given the Designer Of The Year award from the CFDA, who obviously approve of the way he has interpreted the clean, simple sportswear aesthetic that the Calvin Klein label is known for. For Spring/Summer 2007, he pushes the notion of sportswear to the limit with an odd pairing: Japanese culture and American football.

Calvin Klein - Fall/Winter 2006

When Francisco Costa took over the design reigns at Calvin Klein in 2003, critics said he was tampering
with the classic simplicity of the brand. Three years
later, he’s established himself firmly at the head of
the company and for Fall/Winter 2006, he paid homage to the twenties.

Calvin Klein - Spring/Summer 2006

Sex at Calvin Klein is always spooned up with a serving of subversion, which of course, makes it much more interesting. Francisco Costa continues that heritage with a veiled sense of the body under the clothes, and a mix of innocence & experience. This season, Costa was chasing a passage from the Ayn Rand novel “The Fountainhead”.

Calvin Klein - Spring/Summer 2005

Over the one year that has passed since Francisco Costa took over design duties at the house of Calvin Klein he's managed to establish his own celebrity following, keep his bosses happy and win over the tough-to-please fashion press. He's also got the approval of Calvin Klein himself, a fixture in the audience for every one of Francisco's collections. This season, Francisco drew inspiration from a recent trip to western America's Yellowstone National Park.

Calvin Klein - Fall/Winter 2004

It is Francisco Costa’s second season of women’s wear at Calvin Klein, and while he remains relatively unknown outside of fashion’s inner circles, the Calvin Klein name can still draw a crowd for a wide range of reasons. This season, all signs indicate that Costa has been looking back at the history of the label - even the look of the girls referenced the era and the attitude that founded the Klein empire.

Calvin Klein - Spring/Summer 2004

Backstage before the show, there was very little to suggest that American fashion has lost one of its strongest pillars. Same venue, same fresh look, same faces but one – Brazilian designer Francisco Costa will be taking the closing bow at the most recognized designer label in the world. Coming to Calvin Klein a year ago after four years at Gucci, Costa’s aesthetic carries on the simplicity of Calvin’s clean lines, but reveals the body in a way that is more aggressive and arguably more in step with the company’s infamously subversive image.

Calvin Klein - Fall/Winter 2003

After building his company for 35 years, designer Calvin Klein decided last year to sell his business to the Philips Van Husen company. The deal, worth close to 500 million dollars, officially closed in February, during the same week that Calvin held his show for Fall 2003.
For his final collection at his own label, Calvin Klein stuck mostly to the modern minamalist aesthetic that made his name. He did, however, throw in a few surprises, just to make sure everyone was still paying attention.

Calvin Klein - Spring/Summer 2003

It was early September of 2002, and Calvin Klein was showing his collection for the upcoming Spring/Summer season; few in attendance knew it, but at the time, Calvin Klein was also making arrangements to sell his company. By December, the deal was done: and Calvin Klein Inc. was bought by the Philips-Van Heusen Corporation for close to 500 million dollars. But nobody was talking big business on the day of this show; at the time it was all about the clothes.

Calvin Klein - Fall/Winter 2002

No one responds as quickly to fashion's multiple mood swings than Calvin Klein. His ability to read, and then reinterpret the zeitgeist of the times places his among the fashion world's most influencial collections; for anyone and everyone in the fashion industry, they are required viewing. This season, Calvin must have been feeling black, as his show was a study in solemnity.