Calvin Klein: The Owner of Street Style

Clothing brands are increasing day by day, and each season brings new models and trends to us. However, there are brands that never lose their trend and continue to lead fashion in their own field. Calvin Klein is undoubtedly one of those brands. Especially as one of the leading names in ready-to-wear and street style, Calvin Klein has never let go of the flag since the day it was founded.

Now, let’s take a closer look at this fashion giant.

Who Is Calvin Klein?

Calvin Klein is an American fashion designer born in the Bronx. Born in 1946, Calvin Klein is the founder and owner of the clothing company that bears his name. With a strong design talent and an unconventional way of thinking, Klein earned the rewards of these two abilities as he made a name for himself in the industry.

Fashion Life

We can say that Calvin Klein’s life began directly with fashion. After studying design in high school, he received training at the Fashion Institute of Technology, such as the famous designer Michael Kors. Starting as an apprentice in a suit shop without interrupting the theoretical education he received, Klein designed in New York for a few years. After making a name for himself in New York, he left his job to found his own company with his childhood friend Barry Schwartz.

Calvin Klein, founded with only $10,000 in capital, initially sold only coats. One day, when one of the city’s well-known figures made a $55,000 purchase by chance from the shop, he suddenly gained fame and added new items to his designs. With this, Klein also released his first collection and took his first step to the top of the fashion world.

As his name rose, Klein also expanded his product range. In 1969, after becoming quite well-known for minimalism, he appeared on the cover of Vogue that same year. Two years later, he added underwear and sportswear to his collection. After receiving his first Coty award in 1973, he continued his success, and he didn’t let anyone take the award away for three years in a row.

The company was growing so much that they could hardly keep up. The logoed pants in the back pocket had become so famous that 200,000 units were sold within a week.

Street Style

Although Klein had a minimal design style in the fashion world, in communication and marketing he always adopted an aggressive approach. Believing that street style should be harsher and more grounded in reality, Klein always became a topic with his advertisements and marketing and stepped outside the ordinary.

With the idea “Don’t hide your underwear—show that you’re wearing Calvin,” Calvin Klein, one of the pioneers of the underwear trend visible through pants and shirts, gained such fame with its collection and campaigns that in 1984 it earned $70 million from underwear alone.

When creating all his designs, he didn’t design according to the preferences of ladies and gentlemen in drawing rooms, but according to the pulse of the street and minimalism.

In addition, aggressive marketing and advertising methods supported street style. In its ads, the call of sexuality was quite common, and it had accustomed everyone to it. However, when a 15-year-old boy was used in the advertisements, things changed and a lawsuit was filed against Calvin Klein. In the case, which even involved the FBI, Klein was found right and the case was dismissed.

What Does Calvin Klein Sell?

Calvin Klein has a very wide range of products. Starting with coats only, this adventure expanded over time. By adding underwear, sportswear, and jeans, the products it offers today include even more than that. In Calvin Klein’s product range;

• Calvin Klein T-shirt,
• Calvin Klein Boxer,
• Calvin Klein Wallet & Bag,
• Calvin Klein Sweatshirt,
• Calvin Klein Dress,
• Calvin Klein Shoes,
• Calvin Klein Shirt,
• Calvin Klein Pants,
• Calvin Klein Coat,
• Calvin Klein Boots and more categories are available.

You can click here to explore all of Calvin Klein’s products.

Sub-brands

Calvin Klein is a very comprehensive company. As its product range and customer portfolio expanded, their needs also increased, so within the company they grew and grouped more and more. In this context, Calvin Klein has its own sub-brands as;

• Calvin Klein,
• Calvin Klein Collection,
• cK,
• Calvin Klein Jeans.