CALVIN KLEIN

In 1968, longtime friends Calvin Klein and Barry Schwartz opened their first apparel company, designing and selling women´s coats - an anterprise that combined Klein's design talent and Schwartz´s business acumen. A chance meeting with a Bonwit Teiler buyer lead to a substantial order and Klein's achievements soon earned the recognition of the fashion world.

The fashion press and store executives, captivated by 'te clean lines and spare shapes of his coats, encouraged Calvin Klein to introduce a sportswear collection. Through the 1970´s, Calvin Klein gained increasing attention for the sophistication and sexiness of his expanding range of women's apparel, which eventually encompassed sportswear and a full ready-to-wear line. In the late 1970's, the company revolutionized the jeans and advertising business with the introduction of Calvin Klein Jeans, the original designer jean. The legendary Brooke Shields advertising campaign, with its irresistible suggestion of sexiness, burned the company name and image into the American conscious.

Similary, in 1982 Calvin Klein altered the way the world viewed and bought men´s underwear with the introduciton of Calvin Klein Underwear. Once a utilitarian product, men´s underwear suddenly became an object of desire. Distinctive advertising campaigns communicated the message of the clean, sexy sensibility that distingushed the underwear´s design.

Highly successful fragrance launches also helped fuel the company´s growth during the 1970´s and the 1980´s, with scents such as Osession, Eternity and Escape. In 1993, Calvin Klein created a breakthrough new concept in designer fragrance with the launch of CK One, the shared fragrance for a man or a woman. Once again, with the introduction of a scent that appealed to either sex, Calvin Klein created a revolutionary market segment that no other designer had considered before.

Calvin Klein´s vision has been recognized and celebrated by his peers. He has been awarded the prestigious Coty Award three times in 1973, 1974 and 1975 and was the youngest designer ever to win this distinction. In 1982, 1983 and 1986, he won the Council of Fashion Designers of America Award for outstanding design in both womenswear and menswear, the first designer ever to receive both honors in the same year.

Over the years, successful expansion resulted in today´s Calvin Klein, Inc., a global fashion, design and retail company managing three distinct lifestyles: the Calvin Klein Collection for women, men and the home, cK Calvin Klein for women and men, and cK Calvin Klein Jeans for women, men and kids.

In the early 1990´s, Calvin Klein and Barry Schwartz moved to reposition the company for sustainable growth in the international marketplace by recruiting a team of seasoned executives led by Gabriella Forte, the company´s President and Chief Operating Officer. In a move to focus on its core creative expertise, the company also created a global infrastructure capable of building and supporting its presence in key market worldwide through the establishment of Calvin Klein Europe, Calvin Klein Asia and Calvin Klein Japan. Powered by a consistent brand image and the unique vision of Calvin Klein´s strong management and design teams, and a sophisticated global business structure, Calvin Klein, Inc. is poised for even greater growth in existing markets and successful entry into new markets in the 1990´s and beyond.

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