MULTIMEDIA: Raf Simons' New Vision For Calvin Klein Unfolds In A Music Video By The xx

There may be no more anticipated Fall 2017 product arrival on its way than Raf Simons'first runway collection for Calvin Klein. New creative directors like to make an impression and show transition. Simons, the Belgian wunderkind who stabilized Jil Sander after a revolving door of designers including the label's namesake herself and similarly revamped Christian Dior after the unplanned exit of John Galliano, is remaking the iconic American fashion label in his own way with slow, deliberate changes that are quietly surfacing to be discovered spontaneously. The latest step in the turn-around of this ocean liner can be seen in a new music video for the song "I Dare You" by The xx (watch above), a cool band chosen in the hopes that an equal degree of coolness will be  conferred upon the Calvin Klein brand. Along with the band members, the video features Simons' newest choices for his brand ambassadors including Paris Jackson, Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown and Moonlight star Ashton Sanders (who has already appeared in a Calvin Klein Underwear campaign with his co-stars) alongside models Lulu Tenney and Ernesto Cervantes who have appeared in Simons first runway show for the brand as well as in subsequent ads. Though the Alasdair McLellan directed video is not presented as the kind of "Fashion Video" that Tom Ford did with Lady Gaga and a gaggle of top models a few seasons ago in lieu of a runway show, everyone in it is dressed by Simons in items from either the Jeans or Underwear lines or recognizable looks from the main collection, now re-dubbed CALVIN KLEIN 205W39NYC (caps, apparently, mandatory). End credits confirm the collaboration, and identify the cast members.

The new, men's Calvin Klein Jeans shop at Macy's Herald Square

Simons' new concepts for the brand are making themselves visible in other ways as well. Macy's, a major retail outlet for the brand, has unveiled a new selling space for the Calvin Klein Jeans line on the third floor of the men's department (pictured above and below), featuring an intriguing combination of industrial concrete and royal blue curtains. It is unclear if any new product designed under Simons' direction has arrived in the store, but the shop is marked by his new, all-caps logo for the brand, and the designer's earliest advertisement images featured vintage jeans from the company archives, indicating that updating the denim division is a priority.  

New Calvin Klein white label signage at Macy's

Elsewhere in the store, eagle eyes will notice that the moderate white label apparel collection is being identified with a tweaked version of the previous logo, or, shall we say, an un-tweaked version of the original logo that was subtly updated in the early 1990s. 25 years later, Simons seems to be reviving that original, iconic font for the widely distributed department store lines including underwear which will allow for retaining that famous Calvin Klein elastic waistband without much change, creating some continuity with the company's largest customer base.
As for the high profile runway line, it is just getting to be about time for it to start arriving in, if reports are accurate, substantially more stores than have recently been carrying it.

Old and new/old logos coexist in Macy's Calvin Klein Underwear department

Once a strong mainstay of designer floors in nearly every upscale department store, the collection diminished in distribution dramatically over the past 15 years despite critical acclaim for previous designer Francisco Costa. The longstanding in-store boutiques in Bloomingdale's and Bergdorf's are now long gone, and while Saks Fifth Avenue continued to maintain a sparsely stocked Calvin Klein Collection boutique, that particular store is undergoing a massive renovation, so it remains to be seen if and where a new in-store shop will appear. Will Bergdorf's, which was once home to one of Calvin's most successful in-store boutiques, find a new dedicated location for Simons latest efforts after great success with his work at both Dior and Sander? We may find out in just a few months. In the meantime, for anyone who wants to check out the debut runway looks more closely, Bergdorf's, Saks, Neiman Marcus and Barneys New York are all featuring the 205W39NYC women's collection for pre-order on their websites —with Barneys  featuring the men's line as well. Though the single remaining Calvin Klein freestanding boutique on Madison Avenue and 60th street has updated the logo on its marquee, the last time we walked by, we saw no merchandise in the windows at all, and it appeared that, like the rest of us, it too was waiting to fully transition into the new Raf Simons era of its brand. It may only be days away.

More of the new Calvin Klein Jeans shop at Macy's

TRANSFORMATIONS: Raf Simons Has Introduced A New Logo For Calvin Klein

Three iterations of the Calvin Klein logo from the original (top), the early 1990s tweak (middle) and the new Raf Simons update (bottom)

There is always a highly anticipated reveal at every Fashion Week, which has only been accelerated by the revolving doors in front of so many major designer labels. Runway followers will anxious to see if the Monse designers can save Oscar de la Renta, as well as if Carolina Herrera can recover from her battle with them. The biggest news on New York, however, is the debut of Raf Simons as Calvin Klein's new creative director. While Simons' long running men's collection gave a much needed boost to New York Fashion Week Men's last week, His debut at Calvin Klein is the big news, and while the designer has kept his activity pretty quiet, he has started to hint at how he will remake the iconic American label, starting with a simple signal that he is reviewing every detail; a new logo.
Readers of early delivering March magazines like Vanity Fair may have noticed a pair of new ads for jeans and underwear that departed dramatically from the brand's signature sexy aesthetic. Rather than close shots of sexy models, tha ads show long shots taken of models from behind as they survey major artworks at the Rubell Family Collection museum in Miami. The most striking change, however is the logo in an all-caps sans serif font that subtly signals a major change (pictured on the bottom in the image above).
Calvin Klein's familiar logo has been remarkably consistent over the previous decades of the company's existence. Ralph Lauren, whose business began at relatively the same time, has cycled through several logo iterations for his various collections over the years, by comparison. Nearly 40 years old (pictured at the top in the above image), the crisp, modern font of the Calvin Klein mark has aged remarkably well, and has only been significantly altered once, in the early nineties (middle logo in image) with a subtle tweak of its proportions by the graphic maestro of that moment, Fabien Baron. The logo has remained otherwise untouched until this past Friday, when Simons' new version has made its debut not only in magazine pages, but on the top of the homepage at CalvinKlein.com and on the brand's Instagram and Twitter pages. Created in collaboration with noted graphic designer Peter Saville, it is officially meant to be "A return to the spirit of the original. An acknowledgement of the founder and foundations of the fashion house."
The last time such a well known logo was changed was when Hedi Slimane decided to rebrand the prêt-à-porter collections at Yves Saint Laurent as simply Saint Laurent, with a label based on the original Saint Laurent Rive Gauche logo that caused an ongoing uproar among fans of the brand. It's not likely that Simons redesign will cause as much drama, but it will serve the same purpose to delineate and officially identify the new designers' vision from that of his forerunners. It may not be the only labeling and repositioning move that Simons has in store. Just a couple of weeks ago, Simons made waves with the discovery of an otherwise unknown new division, Calvin Klein by Appointment, opening to the public the company's custom division which had previously only been available to actresses in need of red carpet attire. The division was announced on social media and with a special group of ads in the Sunday New York Times photographed by longtime Simons collaborator Willy Vanderperre. Those ads also carried a different font, one that reflected the original logo before the 90s era tweak. Part of Raf Simons' new responsibilities at Calvin Klein is to unify the company's disparate design directions under one strong aesthetic. The new men's and women' collection lines will finally be unveiled together next week, possibly with more information about how Simons will be revamping Calvin Klein's offerings.

NEW YORK DESIGNER SHAKE-UP: Francisco Costa & Italo Zucchelli Out At Calvin Klein As Raf Simons Rumors Swirl

Courtesy Images by Danny Clinch for Calvin Klein

Perhaps his own women's line is not what Raf Simons has in the works after all. Maybe he's heading Stateside.
The revolving door of Europe's biggest designer brands has opened in New York today as the exits of both Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli (pictured left and right above), creative directors at Calvin Klein Collection for women and men respectively, have been announced. The company has indicated that all Calvin Klein products will be unified under a single creative director yet to be disclosed, while fashion insiders filled in the blank with Raf Simons' name, a rumor that has apparently been percolating recently. The new creative head will be announced "in due course” according to the company, which is in keeping with the belief that a non-compete clause in Raf Simons' former contract with Dior is delaying the completion of any transition until this summer.
While both Costa and Zucchelli have been credited with maintaining the fashion authority of the Calvin Klein brand after its purchase by PVH and the retirement of it's namesake, commercially, the Calvin Klein Collection business plummeted after Klein's retirement as the company turned its attention toward the newly introduced Calvin Klein White Label moderate line for profits and growth. The Collection lines remained beloved by the press, and Costa was a recipient of the CFDA award. The runway collections gained some traction in recent seasons as the parent company increased support for the neglected lines. Zucchelli's menswear has been embraced by avant-garde retailers like Opening Ceremony and Dover Street Market, and Costa's womenswear has found its way back into Bergdorf Goodman, but not all the way back to the prized, spacious in-store shop overlooking the Plaza  it commanded in its heyday through the 1990s. While Costa has had great success with red carpet dressing, he often dressed his stars in simpler gowns that recalled classic Calvin Klein styles like the sleek red tank gown Jennifer Lawrence wore at her first Oscar ceremony rather than his own more complex runway designs, causing a stylistic disconnect for the collection.
As for Simons, his success at the modernistic Jil Sander as well as his own influential men's label and balancing of ornate and minimalist looks at Dior make him a perfect choice to lead Calvin Klein —if it's true.
We will all have to wait a few months to find out for sure, but the prospect of a Simons led Calvin Klein is a promising idea for one of New York's greatest designer brands.

Francisco Costa, Italo Zucchelli to Exit Calvin Klein, Raf in Wings? (WWD)

RUMOR MILL: Is Calvin Klein Taking Over Bleecker Street's Manatus Restaurant?

The last place to get a full, well priced meal on the designer stretch of Bleecker Street bewteen Christopher and Hudson Streets closed last night amid rumors that a Calvin Klein boutique was coming in to take over the space. Not too many West Villagers sound pleased to say goodbye to the Manatus, a three-decade or so fixture just off Christopher that has reportedly been the kind of friendly (and affordable), neighborhood Greek diner that seems to exist only on TV shows anymore. The restaurant's demise was forewarned nearly a year ago by Jeremiah's Vanishing New York, which followed up over the weekend with the news that its rent would have been hiked up to $50,000 per month if it had stayed. Calvin Klein rumor also stems from the blog, and it makes a certain amount of sense that a designer label which would require a certain amount of room would jump on one of the rare large scale spaces on Bleecker to become available. As a remnant of Bleecker Street's only slightly humbler past, Manatus was something of an outlier among the fashion and beauty stores, but that's not to say that designer shoppers don't need a place to sit and have a nice club sandwich.

Now to Calvin. If the brand is indeed interested in (or even already in control of) the space, one presumes that it would be to open a new Collection boutique, which would be only other one in America besides the flagship Madison Avenue store. Francisco Costa's designs for the premium label have thrilled critics and red carpet denizens in the years since he took over for Calvin himself. Unfortunately, Costa's different design point of view, changes in production arrangements and the introduction of the mid-range department store Calvin Klein label have decimated the brand's high-end women's business over the years. New management at the brand and at parent company PVH has vowed to reverse this state of affairs and refocus some corporate attention on its top label. A brand new boutique in a hip location could go a long way to burnishing Calvin's status among customers. Keep an eye out for some signage on Bleecker Street to let us know more, and keep walking toward Seventh Avenue if you are getting hungry.

Manatus: Vanishing (Vanishing New York)

CINTRA WILSON GOES SHOPPING: Minimal Disappointment Edition

In her roundabout journey through every major designer boutique in Manhattan, The Times' Critical Shopper Cintra Wilson gives an American Icon a fair shot at the Calvin Klein Collection boutique on Madison Avenue after having been lured by decades of the designer's sleek, sexy imagery.
When it comes to the Calvin Klein Collection of today, however, things are not exactly as one would have remembered them. In the Francisco Costa era, the brand's new parent company, PVH, has focused their considerable attentions and resources on launching the label's moderate department store line. While creative director Costa's runway collections have racked up the awards, they have languished at retail as Calvin's hard-core customers have turned away over the past few years. Our intrepid shopper finds that what was once an American Designer Sportswear mainstay is now styled more to appeal to Asian and European tastes and, unfortunately, bodies. Here's the verdict after trying a shimmery satin tank dress:

It didn’t give me the chrome hood-ornament effect I had hoped for. There was an asymmetrical bunching at one side that made me resemble a sock scrunched the wrong way down a combat boot.

A pewter cocktail dress:

It was a roiling mass of gray pin-tucks, swooping in conflicting directions for a crosscurrent-undertow effect. I was willing to be won over, but the dress was not kind. I staggered out to show [my friend].
“I am your lung after five years of chain-smoking,” I said in the affectless voice of a disembodied organ.

Shopping pal Johanna tries on a teal silk-jersey dress:

It was clingy in all the wrong places — too tight over the curves; loose and baggy in the middle — basically the problem I had with the things I tried on: knit numbers that had a kicky Zelda Fitzgerald look on the hanger, but on the body evoked the wrong years of Brigitte Nielson.

Word has it that the folks at PVH are now trying to bolster the flailing commercial fortunes of the flagship Collection label, but it looks like it may be a much bigger task than they thought it would be.
Critical Shopper | Calvin Klein: New Bow on a Minimal Box by Cintra Wilson (NYTimes)
Calvin Klein Collection 654 Madison Avenue at 60^th Street, Upper East Side

Racy Windows: Another Day In The Greased-Up World Of Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein's billboard at the corner of Houston and Lafayette streets has been a center of controversy for a while, lately featuring provocative and scantily clad images of actress Eva Mendes in jeans and underwear ads. For Spring, however, Calvin's space has been devoted, for the first time if we are not incorrect, to the top men's ready-to-wear Collection with an image that is bound to produce even more contention.
This month, the billboard features two images of model David Agbodji photographed by Steven Klein. On the right, we have David wearing a sleek, black suit, and on the left, David wearing only a generous amount of baby oil, bare backside and all. We're fairly sure that opinion will be split between those who find the image totally inappropriate and those who would like to see David take a quarter turn to the right.
Of course, it's uptown at the Calvin Klein Collection boutique on Madison Avenue where things really get kinky. The possibly NSFW image is after the jump...

Billboard Watch:Quick Change Calvin Strikes Again

Is Calvin Klein looking to have the fastest billboard turnover in SoHo?
Just a few weeks ago, some vocal Houston Street denizens started getting vocal about the sexy threesome (foursome?) depicted on the huge ad space Calvin has controlled for a while now, but before the controversy could reach any kind of fever pitch, the image was abruptly changed to sexy supermodel Doutzen Kroes as a latter day Bo Derek, emerging from the surf in a skimpy red bikini. Now, a scant couple of weeks later, the picture has changed again. This time it's Calvin's contract starlet Eva Mendes modeling the new "Body" jeans, a high waisted style apparently meant to be worn without a top, but with a healthy slathering of body oil. Who hasn't been waiting for that look to come around again?
Ad watchers assumed that the change in images last month was due to public outcry. It wouldn't have been the first time the designer had to pull jeans ads (Remember the Steven Meisel "basement porn" campaign of the early '90s?). In fact, it looks like this ad space is on an accelerated schedule that keeps each image in view for only a couple of weeks, so perhaps the sexy three/foursome had simply completed its brief, allotted time on the wall. If that's the case, then your time to see a giant topless Eva is ticking away.