RAF SIMONS NAMED CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER FOR CALVIN KLEIN

Calvin Klein is certainly on a mission of reinvention. In 2013, Calvin Klein Jeans and Calvin Klein underwear were both bought back by the company. In addition, in April of this year the two designers who had been overseeing the Calvin Klein Collection were fired. 

Perhaps the biggest change for the Calvin Klein brand however has just happened. As of three days ago, the previous Creative Director of both Christian Dior and Jill Sander's, Raf Simons, has been announced as Calvin Klein's new Chief Creative Officer. Simons is set to take all of Calvin Klein's brands over and stream line them. This is quite an undertaking as there are several brands under the Calvin Klein brand including Calvin Klein Collection, Calvin Klein Platinum, Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Jeans, Calvin Klein Underwear, and Calvin Klein Home.

This will be the first time all of the brands will be in the control of one person since 2002, when Klein himself left after selling the company to American clothing company Phillips-Van Heusen. Klein is evidently pleased with this step. Quoted as saying they had done what he had hoped they would do, which is essentially to finally replace him. To have someone who can come in and have a singular vision for the brand going forward which the company hasn't seen since he left. 

It will be interesting to see what rebranding Calvin Klein takes on after Simons takes over. Calvin Klein have long been known to push their brand with sexy and edgy commercials that over the years has seen a 15 year old Brooke Shields front a campaign, the now infamous Kate Moss and Mark Wahlberg campaign and more recently, famous Italian blogger, Chiara Ferragni and Kendal Jenner pose for the brand, always with an edge of sex and provocation.  

The famous Calvin Klein campaign that Kate Moss did with Mark Wahlberg. Kate was just 16 years old. Moss has since said this campaign made her almost suffer 'a nervous breakdown' 
Photo credit: Calvin Klein

Brooke Shields for Calvin Klein 1980 campaign, Shields was just 15 years old. 
Photo credit: Calvin Klein

Kendal Jenner for Calvin Klein
Photo credit: Calvin Klein

Italian blogger, Chiara Ferragni for Calvin Klein. 
Photo credit: Calvin Klein

With Simons coming from the very elegant brand Christian Dior, I can't wait to see what his vision will be for the soon to be reinvented Calvin Klein, and how he will bring the separate brands together. ​

As Calvin Klein is known for their simplicity in their runway collections, whilst Christian Dior are certainly more lavish but with classic design, I'm curious as to what the changes will be, particularly with their perfume and underwear lines, as both of these product lines are huge driving forces behind Calvin Klein sales. 

Despite somewhat of a presence of their higher-end collections making appearances on the red carpet and even Emma Watson wearing a Calvin Klein ensemble to this years Met Gala, this line certainly isn't the big money maker for the brand, in fact the brand has previously admitted these are seen more as a 'marketing expense' on the books to help drive the sales in the other lines. 

I cannot see this being the same situation as Simons takes over. As one of the most influential menswear designers for the past twenty years and having come from Dior, I think the runway collections will see a complete overhaul and be much more of a focus for the brand. I'd certainly like to see this happen, and it seems like the opportune time to really elevate the runway collections and make them more of a profitable section of the company. 

Raf Simons isn't the only one to be joining the Calvin Klein family. This week it was also announced that Raf Simons' trusted studio director at Dior, Pieter Mulier, will also be a new addition to Calvin Klein, coming on as Creative Director and will both manage the design team and execute Simons vision going forward. I can't wait to see what they create. Simons first collection with Calvin Klein is due to debut this fall of 2017.