The brand, which turns 56 years old in 2024, continues to reinvent itself based on a solid foundation of minimalism, sexual appeal, gender fluidity, and controversial marketing campaigns.

&ldquo;I'm either extremely excited or very upset about something.&rdquo; The above statement partly portrays Klein: a man of extremes. Temporarily putting aside the troubles that turned his personal life into an abyss, <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/calvin-klein-new-creative-director-who-is-veronica-leoni" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Calvin Klein</a> turned his enthusiasm for fashion into a lifelong career, not only creating a billion-dollar empire, but also changing the way The world's view of clothing. For Klein, &ldquo;doing everything possible is synonymous with survival.&rdquo; So, how did Klein come to exist?
Calvin Klein co-founded Calvin Klein Inc. along with his best friend Barry Schwartz in 1968 after Schwartz loaned him $10,000, and began making coats thanks to his education at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Together, the two opened an office at Manhattan's York Hotel at 488 Seventh Avenue to begin the business. During their 35-year partnership, Schwartz and Klein made every major decision together. Schwartz handles the business side while Klein handles the creative side.
With strong support from investor Bonwit Teller, in 1973, the young company Calvin Klein expanded its business with a friendly sportswear line. His first designs, with simple designs that leaned toward application, quickly gained favor. The nickname "The Calvin Klein Look" was born, as a separate school for practical fashion designs.
With the ability to master the runway with flowing dresses, the sexiness of the 70s, the street sound of the 90s - Klein has mastered the combination with jeans and <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/blackpink-jennie-kim-fronts-calvin-klein-exclusive-capsule-collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">underwear</a>, which largely determined Calvin Klein's commercial success. Next, the launch of Calvin Klein perfume turned Klein into one of the first designers to understand fashion as a calculated perspective rather than just a soulless price tag. And even though he had time to sink deep into the mire of debauchery at Studio 54, Klein still did not fall into the path of other designers and maintained his power for decades. &ldquo;
My philosophy is always the same. It's always been liberating, it's always been about sensuality, it's always been sophisticated, and above all, it's always represented what I think is modern,&rdquo; Klein said in an interview in 1984. It was 4 years after the name Calvin Klein suddenly exploded because of a shocking film, where sexy actress Brooke Shields, now only 15 years old, posed provocatively with the words whispering in her ear as if inviting: " Do you want to know what lies between me and Calvin pants? Nothing." The announcement was like an oracle, stirring up a new advertising format for Brooke Shields in Calvin Klein's controversial first campaign. Photo STEVEN KLEIN Calvin Klein: Loud, shocking, and of course, full of sexuality. 200,000 pairs of pants were sold out in the first week. The wave of anger from many feminists and social activists did not cause any harm, but on the contrary, became a benchmark for the unparalleled effect of advertising films. Klein became a pioneering example of the scandalous advertising campaign movement, whose quickest successor was himself.

THE POWER OF SEX WITH THE NAME OF CALVIN KLEIN

To be able to do that, there must be a turning point in 1982, when Klein stepped into the land of <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/hommes/jeremy-allen-white-campaign-calvin-klein-spring-2024-actor-rosalia-dating" target="_blank" rel="noopener">men's lingerie</a> with a firm declaration: "I do not make underwear with sexy designs, but only Design things that make the wearer look sexier. And that is what I will put at the heart of the advertising image. Perfect body and eroticism will be exploited and enjoyed to the fullest. Male or female, regardless, I will do this with models who have excellent bodies."
As if to confirm his words, he went to the Olympic grandmaster, with a tough face and a muscular body. Under each thin layer of CK-branded fabric, the muscles are clearly visible, showing off every contour. It is enough to bring women into the dreamy passion of flesh and skin, and make men's throats choke in jealousy. In just one night, all the glass windows where the pictures were displayed were broken down. All advertising posters were stolen. Of course, Klein won big.
Not long after, the women's lingerie line was officially launched. With their hot and sexy bodies, the models laughed carelessly, focusing their eyes on a pair of tight pants. Also with a bold bedroom aesthetic, Klein launched an advertisement for Obsession perfume. The glistening images of nude bodies became the most memorable ad for American consumers for four consecutive years, and at the same time turned Obsession into the second best-selling perfume brand worldwide. gender.
Klein expanded his portfolio with CK Calvin Klein womenswear in 1992. There, he made <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/kate-moss-lila-moss-in-fendi-peekaboo-handbag-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kate Moss</a> a household name with a series of lingerie ads featuring Moss with &ldquo;Marky&rdquo; Mark Wahlberg and the slogan , &ldquo;The best protection against AIDS is to wear Calvin.&rdquo; Moss' nude appearance in 1993 in the Obsession ad also successfully attracted a lot of attention - both negative and controversial - as her skinny figure helped usher in the era of destined modeling. nicknamed &ldquo;heroin chic&rdquo;. &ldquo;I don't think the novelty is over or is still in a state of superiority,&rdquo; he said in 2000. Fashion is about change. You must continue to grow and change. It must be new. You have to keep pushing it.&rdquo;
With a product line of outstanding quality and advertising photos that go far beyond what is accepted by the masses, Calvin Klein's success or popularity is undeniable. &ldquo;I'm most proud of the numbers, the money we were able to make. I'm also proud to have built a world-class brand. When things go well, they compare the brand to McDonald's and Coca-Cola,&rdquo; says partner Schwartz.

TWO WIVES, TWO GAY LOVERS: &ldquo;THIS IS LOVE&rdquo;

In 2002, Calvin Klein decided to sell his company to Phillips Van Heusen Group for 400 million USD in cash (nearly 10,000 billion VND) and 30 million USD in shares (about 700 billion VND), and decided to retire. retirement. By this time, his marriage with assistant Kelly Rector had begun to falter. This is his second marriage after his first wife, textile designer Jayne Center, in 1964, and his second wife, Kelly Rector, since 1986.

Two failed marriages seemed to drag Calvin Klein back to his own ego: in 2006, he officially divorced and publicly announced his sexual orientation as a bisexual. Thinking it would just stop there, at the age of 70, Calvin Klein continued to make waves in the media when he dated a gay lover 46 years younger than him - Nick Gruber. According to Huffington Post, they met in New York through some mutual friends and began to develop feelings, then dated for 2 years. Unlike his indifference to his family and his two previous wives, Calvin showed his utmost love for his young lover when he lavishly organized a lavish 21st birthday party for him. When he discovered Gruber was involved with banned substances, he did not hesitate to personally take him to the rehab center by private plane, and paid all the costs. However, this love affair did not last long. Even when they are no longer together, Calvin Klein still pays special attention to his young lover. A source revealed to the above-mentioned newspaper: “Calvin always felt the need to protect him, despite everything that happened, what he did. He still loves Nick.”

After ending his relationship with Nick Gruber, Calvin Klein did not take long to start a new relationship with male model Kevin Baker, also 46 years his junior. The couple began making their relationship public in 2016 when they attended a fashion event. Learning from the stress Nick caused him after the two broke up, this time, Calvin Klein chose a discreet lifestyle, not appearing in public and ignoring detractors from outsiders. During the past 8 years, except for daily images taken by paparazzi around their private residence in Beverly Hills, the couple rarely publicized their photos at public events, and almost never mentioned each other in front of each other in the media.
At the age of "seventy years old", America's once famous scandal king, Calvin Klein, may have decided to stop. Away from the lights of the catwalk, the long nights of debauchery at Studio 54 and the promotional campaigns that shocked the world, the daring designer who changed the history of American fashion has now returned. Next to him is still Kevin Baker, despite the objection that he is only with him to inherit his vast fortune.
Rejecting all social rules, subverting moral standards, and blurring gender lines throughout his illustrious fashion career, Calvin Klein truly deserves his endorsement as an uncrowned king that rewrote gender norms in America. And the rest, as they say, is history.

The History of Calvin Klein

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