Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968.
Klein was born in the Bronx, New York City to an Austro-Hungarian Jewish family.
He attended the High School of Art and Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
In 1968, Klein launched his first company with his childhood best friend Barry K. Schwartz.
He became known for his clean lines and modern sportswear designs.
Klein was hailed as the new Yves Saint Laurent and immediately recognized for his talent after his first major showing at New York Fashion Week.
In addition to clothing, he has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches and jewelry.
Siblings
Klein has two siblings, his sister Alexis Klein, who died of breast cancer and his brother Barry Klein, who helped launch Calvin Klein Inc. with him in 1968.
Klein is the middle child between his two siblings.
Fashion career
Klein launched his fashion career in 1968 when he opened his own company with Barry, a childhood friend.
Initially focused on coats and suits, Klein’s minimalist, understated designs soon became popular, particularly his sportswear line of interchangeable separates.
He was the first designer to win three consecutive Coty Awards for womenswear from 1973-1975, and was the youngest designer ever elected to the Coty Hall of Fame in 1975.
Klein expanded into menswear, jeans, cosmetics, fragrances and home collections over the following decades.
His advertising campaigns, featuring provocative images of models and celebrities, helped position his brand as a global icon.
Klein is recognized as a master of minimalism, distilling designs to their essence.
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Selling Calvin Klein
In 2002, Klein sold his fashion company Calvin Klein Inc. to the apparel conglomerate Phillips-Van Heusen (PVH) for around $400 million in cash, $30 million in stock, and up to $300 million in royalties over 15 years.
PVH, led by CEO Bruce Klatsky, was the driving force behind the acquisition, outbidding other interested parties like VF Corp.
The deal did not include Calvin Klein’s jeans, underwear and swimwear businesses, which remained with the Warnaco Group.
Apax Partners, a private equity firm, provided financial support to PVH by investing $250 million and a $125 million loan in exchange for board seats.
After the acquisition, PVH announced plans to launch a new Calvin Klein men’s sportswear line to compete with Ralph Lauren.
Awards and accolades
Klein has been honored with numerous prestigious awards and accolades during his illustrious fashion career.
These include the Coty American Fashion Critics’ Award in 1973, 1974 and 1975, induction into the Coty Hall of Fame in 1975 and multiple Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Awards in the 1980s and 1990s.
Others are a recognition by Time magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential Americans in 1996, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the CFDA in 2001 and the Bath Museum of Costume Dress of the Year in 1980.
These accolades underscore Klein’s profound impact on American fashion and his status as a visionary designer in the industry.
Personal life
Klein has been married twice and has one child. His first marriage was to Jayne Centre from 1964 to 1974, with whom he had a daughter named Marci Klein.
Marci is a talent producer for the television show Saturday Night Live.
Klein’s second marriage was to Kelly Rector, his assistant, in 1986, but they divorced in 2006 after years of living separately.
In addition to his marriages, Klein has been in a few notable relationships.
He was briefly in a relationship with male model Nick Gruber in the early 2010s.
More recently, he has been in a long-term relationship with a 35-year-old male model named Kevin Baker, although the relationship has been kept relatively private.
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