Calvin Klein

Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc., in 1968. In addition to clothing, he also has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewellery.

This article is about the fashion designer. For his company, see Calvin Klein (company).
Calvin Klein
Klein at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival Vanity Fair party
Born (1942-11-19) November 19, 1942
New York City, New York, U.S.
EducationFashion Institute of Technology
OccupationFashion designer
Label(s)
Calvin Klein Inc.
Spouse(s)
Jayne Centre
​
​
(m. 1965; div. 1974)​

Kelly Rector
​
​
(m. 1986; div. 2006)​
ChildrenMarci Klein
Parent(s)Flore Stern Klein
Leo Klein
RelativesDaniel Klein

Early years

Klein was born on November 19, 1942 to a Jewish family in the Bronx, the son of Flore (née Stern) (1909–2006) and Leo Klein.[1][2] Leo had immigrated to New York from Hungary, while Flore was born in the United States to immigrants from Galicia and Buchenland, Austrian Empire (modern day-Ukraine).[3][4]

Klein went to Isobel Rooney Middle School 80 (M.S.80) as a child. He attended the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan and matriculated at, but never graduated from, New York's Fashion Institute of Technology, receiving an honorary doctorate in 2003. He did his apprenticeship in 1962 at an old line cloak-and-suit manufacturer, Dan Millstein,[5] and spent five years designing at other New York City shops. In 1968, he launched his first company with a childhood friend,[6] Barry K. Schwartz.[6][7]

Klein was one of several design leaders raised in the Jewish community in the Bronx, along with Robert Denning and Ralph Lauren.[8] He became a protégé of Baron de Gunzburg,[7] through whose introductions he became the toast of the New York elite fashion scene even before he had his first mainstream success with the launch of his first jeans line. He was immediately recognized for his talent after his first major showing at New York Fashion Week. He was hailed as the new Yves Saint Laurent, and was noted for his clean lines.

Personal life

Klein married Jayne Centre, a textile designer, in 1964.[9] They have a daughter, Award-winning television producer Marci Klein,[10] who is best known for her on NBC's Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock. They divorced in 1974.[9] In September 1986 Klein married his assistant, Kelly Rector, in Rome while they were on a buying trip in Italy.[9] She later became a well-known socialite photographer. After separating in 1996, they divorced in April 2006 after 20 years of marriage.[7][11]

In 2003, Klein bought an ocean-front estate in Southampton, New York on Long Island[7] and demolished it to build a $75 million glass-and-concrete mansion.[12] In 2015, he put his Miami Beach, Florida mansion on the market for $16 million.[13] The Florida home sold in February 2017 for $12,850,000. In June 2015, Klein bought a mansion in Los Angeles, California for $25 million.[14]

Calvin Klein dated Nicholas Gruber.[15][16] Klein is a supporter of the U.S. Democratic Party, having given over $250,000 to candidates and PACs since 1980.[17]

Awards

In 1974, Klein designed the tight-fitting signature jeans that would go on to gross $200,000 in their first week of sales.[18] In that same year he also became the first designer to receive outstanding design in men’s and women’s wear from the CFDA award show. In 1983, he was placed on the International Best Dressed List.[19] Also in 1981, 1983 and 1993, he received an award from Councils of Fashion Designs of America.[20]

Other

Klein made a cameo appearance in Season 3, Episode 15 ("The Bubble"), of the television series 30 Rock.[21] A fictionalized version of him also appears in Season 4, Episode 13 ("The Pick"), of the television series Seinfeld.

Filmography
  • The Emperor's New Clothes: An All-Star Illustrated Retelling of the Classic Fairy Tale 1998 (voice)

References
  1. Marsh, Lisa The House of Klein: Fashion, Controversy, and a Business Obsession ISBN 9780471478959 | Publisher: Wiley \ Publication date: April 5, 2004
  2. "Flore Klein". Archived from the original on May 20, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  3. "Max Stern". Archived from the original on February 11, 2018. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  4. "Max Stern". Archived from the original on February 10, 2018. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
  5. "Calvin Klein". Fashion Elite. 2016-09-20. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
  6. Chevalier, Michel (2012). Luxury Brand Management. Singapore: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-17176-9.
  7. "Calvin j". Citylife.com. Archived from the original on September 1, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  8. http://www.fashiondesign.org/calvin-klein.php
  9. Gross, Michael. "The Latest Calvin". Originally New York magazine. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  10. "Calvin Klein". Vogue. April 22, 2008. Archived from the original on July 18, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  11. "AT LAST, A BABY FOR KELLY AT 50". PageSix.com. August 28, 2007. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  12. Bernstein, Jacob. "The House That Calvin Built". New York Times. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  13. "Fashion Icon Calvin Klein Snips the Price of His Fabulous Florida Estate". realtor.com News. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  14. "Calvin Klein Buys Big in the Bird Streets: Let's Go Inside!". At Home in Hollywood. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  15. Hannah Elliott (October 18, 2011). "Calvin Klein On Kate Moss, Ralph Lauren, Love And Other Drugs". Forbes.com.
  16. https://web.archive.org/web/20130819220316/http://gawker.com/calvin-kleins-boyfriend-doesnt-want-any-gay-people-to-1168040884
  17. Archived December 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  18. Morgan, Philippa. "Calvin Klein: How the Fashion Phenomenon Kept His Cool". Vogue. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  19. "Introducing the International Best-Dressed List 2016 Hall of Fame". Vanity Fair. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
  20. "CFDA Fashion Awards". Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  21. Odell, Amy (January 23, 2009). "Victoria Beckham Now in Russian Vogue; Calvin Klein Spotted at 30 Rock". New York. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
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