Calvin Klein is taking its luxury fashion line to the guillotine, officially killing the main collection and runway shows.
The New York Times reports that the brand is closing its luxury business and Vogue reports that layoffs have already occurred in New York and Milan with the brand to focus on a “customer-first approach.” The closure is happening just a few months after designer Raf Simons left Calvin Klein, who had been designing for the brand starting in August 2016. At the time of his departure, Women’s Wear Daily reported that Simons’ responsibilities at the company had been significantly reduced after he signed on to have full creative control. The company is now currently looking for a new fashion director who will design across the business.
So what does this mean for the Calvin Klein brand? It means that denim and underwear is now officially their bread and butter alone, which is where most of the company’s sales were coming from anyway. Though Business of Fashion reports that chief executive Steve Shiffman still wants to create an “aspirational” product. Considering the aspirational appeal of Calvin Klein denim and underwear has never exactly been the apparel itself but the bodies of the extremely hot, famous people wearing it, I don’t think “aspiration” should be a hard get for CK.
In the future, expect more Calvin Klein underwear, and less skimpy first-date dresses.