It’s not just Raf Simons who’s out at Calvin Klein, it’s the entire runway line he oversaw.
Page Six Style has learned that the brand will be closing its Calvin Klein Collection business, the high-fashion offshoot previously known as CALVIN KLEIN 205 W39 NYC, which launched in 2017 under Simons, the fashion house’s first chief creative officer.
In light of the closure, Calvin Klein will be eliminating a number of employees who worked in that division as well.
The brand is also in the midst of closing its Milan office, and there is a collective dismissal procedure in place for some of the departments located there.
It was previously reported by WWD that Calvin Klein was planning on simply relaunching its luxury offerings under a new name with an altered design approach and new creative direction, with only 100 employees being let go across the entire business. Clearly, that no longer appears to be the case.
Simons, 51, announced his sudden departure from the brand last Christmas, eight months before the end of his contract and less than two years after his appointment. Before landing at Calvin Klein, the Belgian designer was the women’s creative director at Dior, a position he also held for less than three years.
The couturier’s exit was reportedly hastened by executives at Calvin Klein parent company PVH, who felt Simons was spending too lavishly on a line that offered little to no return on investment. However, in an official statement, the company pointed to creative differences: “Both parties have amicably decided to part ways after Calvin Klein Inc. decided on a new brand direction which differs from Simons’s creative vision,” it read.
Despite PVH’s rumored displeasure with the line’s sales, Simons’ work for the brand was a huge hit with celebrities, garnering fans such as A$AP Rocky, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan and Millie Bobbie Brown, to name just a few.