New Delhi. If there is any fashion brand in the world today which has made simplicity into style, then it is Calvin Klein. Today its jeans, underwear, perfumes and minimalist clothes are sold in more than 100 countries including India. But very few people know that this brand became famous all over the world because of a boy whose father ran a grocery store and grandmother used to do tailoring at home. We are talking about the co-founder of Calvin Klein and famous designer Calvin Richard Klein. In 1968, he started the company by borrowing two thousand rupees from a friend. Today, Calvin Klein is owned by PVH Corp and the brand does retail sales of $9 billion annually.
Calvin Klein was born on November 19, 1942 in a Hungarian-Jewish family in the Bronx area of New York. The family was not rich. Father ran a small grocery shop and mother and grandmother did sewing work at home. There was no poverty, but no wealth either. Which was. The atmosphere of sewing and embroidery at home created a fascination for fashion within Calvin Klein. He would sit with his grandmother for hours and even operate her machine.
Studied fashion from FIT
After finishing school, Kelvin did an advanced design course at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York. After completing his studies, he worked in small design houses in New York’s Garment District for five years. His designs were often copied without credit. This was very painful for him.
Started my work by borrowing
In 1968, Klein decided that he would not work for others, but would start his own business. But, the problem was that he did not have money. He borrowed $2,000 from his childhood friend Barry Schwartz. With the same money, Klein prepared a small sample line and opened a small showroom in a hotel in New York. This is where Calvin Klein Limited started.
One mistake opened the fate: One day a buyer from the famous departmental store Bonwit Teller came to the hotel to see the collection of another designer. But by mistake he got down on the wrong floor. When I looked there, I saw the board of Calvin Klein’s showroom in front. The buyer went inside and was amazed to see the design. He immediately went in and after seeing the entire collection, placed a big order of $50,000. This was the turning point in Calvin Klein’s career.
The world went crazy about minimalist style
Calvin Klein’s minimalist style gave a new formula to the fashion industry. Simplicity, clean lines and perfect fit. His design was youthful and elegant too. It was taken immediately. From 1970–1980, his dresses, coats, suits all became famous in international fashion shows.
Designer jeans changed the game
In 1978, Calvin Klein launched designer jeans. Bold branding and great fitting soon made it popular. Within a few months, Calvin Klein Jeans became a fashion statement. In 1980, Calvin Klein made men’s underwear glamorous for the first time. His ad gave new heights to the brand. Even today, Calvin Klein Underwear is one of the best selling underwear lines in the world. After this, Kelvin entered the world of perfumes and launched perfumes named Obsession in 1985 and Eternity in 1988. In 1994, the company launched a unisex perfume in CK One.
personal life
Klein married textile designer Jane Senter in 1964, and they divorced in 1974. They have a daughter, Marcy Klein. Klein married his assistant Kelly Rector in September 1986 in Rome. They separated in 1996. In 2003, Kelvin bought a seaside property in Southampton for $30 million. He completely demolished that old building and built a very modern huge mansion. Kelvin sold this house to hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin in February 2020 for $84 million.
