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Calvin Klein is a household fashion label that shares its name with founder Calvin Richard Klein. The founder is an American fashion designer who started the company back in 1968. Today, Calvin Klein holds its place among a rare breed of iconic brands and is known especially for its jeans, underwear, and fragrance lines.
As a global leader of understated and timeless clothing, Calvin Klein has a rich history. This article takes a look into some riveting facts about the brand's history and evolution.
5 gripping facts about fashion powerhouse Calvin Klein
1) Klein belonged to an immigrant family
Calvin Klein was born on November 19, 1942 to a Jewish Hungarian immigrant family. Born in the Bronx, New York, Klein was obsessed with fashion since childhood. He acquired his love for sewing from his grandmother, who was a seamstress. Klein’s mother also encouraged his interest in fashion.
After the completion of his graduation from the Fashion Institute of Technology, he spent five years working as an apprentice in a coat and suit house in New York City. He spent any extra hours working on his own designs, and the disclosure of this got him fired from the job. It was then, in 1968, that he started his first company with his childhood friend, Barry K. Schwartz.
2) Mark Wahlberg made its underwear line popular
Mark Wahlberg made the underwear line of Calvin Klein the most popular one in the world. In 1982, Calvin Klein’s underwear line was added as a bonus to his already extensive portfolio. All the credit goes to its risqué advertising and provocative campaigns that brought huge success to the company.
3) First unisex fragrance launched in 1994
The brand introduced its first unisex fragrance in 1994. The CK One fragrance was first in this line, and it was created by Albert Morillas and Harry Freemont. This appealing fragrance is a mix of brawny and sultry assuredness. Soon after it’s launch, the perfume became a best seller, and generated about 90 million dollars through sales in the mid 1990s.
4) PVH acquired Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein was acquired by Phillips Van Heusen (PVH) in December 2012. Under the deal, PVH paid 400 million dollars in cash and 30 million dollars in stock, along with rights, royalties, and incentives to Calvin Klein.
PVH owns many other brands, with Tommy Hilfiger, Kenneth Cole New York, Michael Kors, Sean John, and Arrow being some of them.
5) Calvin Klein modified its logo in 2017
The brand last changed its logo in 2017. The monogram picked is a minimalistic design that could easily be etched into public consciousness. Getting rid of its lower case monogram, the company swapped it with the upper case one, without losing its simplicity and accessibility.
Calvin Klein’s legacy has been deeply cemented into the global fashion industry, and it continues to dominate contemporary fashion.
