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Calvin Klein
The classic simplicity of Calvin Klein has made it one of the most well known fashion brands in the world. Bronx native Calvin Klein got his start in 1968 when he opened a coat shop in the York Hotel in Manhattan. Later that year, legend has it that a buyer from the now-defunct department store Bonwitt Teller got off on the wrong floor of an elevator and stumbled into Klein's workroom. The store ended up placing a $50,000 order for Klein's coats. Soon, Klein was designing award-winning womenswear collections, including classic sportswear, blazers, and lingerie. He made the cover of Vogue magazine in the early 1970s, and won three consecutive Coty awards. Calvin Klein jeans became one of the most sought-after fashion items in the 1980s, with Brooke Shields posing suggestively in the brand's denim. Through the ups and downs of the next few decades, Klein prevailed, and sold the company to Philips-Van Heusen in 2002. Today, Brazilian-born Francisco Costa is the talented creative director of the womenswear division.
Calvin Klein has truly become an American lifestyle brand, with lines of womenswear, menswear, underwear, accessories, kids and fragrance. The company also has an extensive home collection of bed, bath and dining essentials. Calvin Klein, best known for its denim and lingerie, features simple silhouettes, a muted color scheme, classic fabrics, and a clean cut. Klein once declared that his clothing is … for Americans who like simple, comfortable but stylish clothes--but with nothing over scale or extreme.
