After Raf Simons left his position as the creative officer of Calvin Klein in December, it’s been stormy waters for the iconic brand. In December, it announced plans to close the flagship store in New York at 654 Madison Avenue. In January, about 100 employees were let go and in February, after 25 years of showing at New York Fashion Week, the American brand was a no-show at the Fall 2019 shows. Now, there’s news that Calvin Klein has decided not to continue its high-end designer collection business, which had been renamed CalvinKlein205W39NYC under Simons. As a result, more layoffs are expected, including 50 employees in the New York office and 50 in the Milan office. The brand has also decided to close its Milan office altogether.
A spokesperson for Calvin Klein told WWD last month amid rumors, “We can confirm that there is a collective dismissal procedure in place for some departments of the Calvin Klein Milan office. The company is working to try to minimize the social impact of this procedure. We know it is a difficult time, but we trust in the cooperation of all of those involved to find appropriate solutions for the impacted associates.”
Despite these disheartening changes, Calvin Klein is actively looking for a fashion director to lead the remaining brand categories. We look forward to seeing the reinvention of the Calvin Klein brand — in whatever form that ultimately takes.
[ via WWD ]
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