Calvin Klein
Founder of Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein is an American designer who founded the company that bears his name in 1968 with his childhood friend Barry Schwartz. Known as a master of minimalism, he pioneered designer jeans, transformed underwear and fragrance into global categories and built one of the most recognised fashion brands in the world before selling it to Phillips-Van Heusen in 2003.
| Role | Founder, Calvin Klein |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1968, with Barry Schwartz |
| Sold to | Phillips-Van Heusen, 2003 |
| Education | Fashion Institute of Technology |
| Born | 19 November 1942, the Bronx, New York |
Who is Calvin Klein?
Calvin Klein was born in the Bronx, New York, on 19 November 1942. He is one of the most influential American designers of the twentieth century, celebrated for a clean, pared back aesthetic and for marketing that pushed the boundaries of fashion advertising. The brand he created remains one of the best known names in global fashion, today owned by PVH Corp.
Career
Klein studied at the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan and at the Fashion Institute of Technology. After an apprenticeship with a coat and suit manufacturer from 1962 and several years designing for New York firms, he founded his company in 1968 with Barry Schwartz, who provided the start up capital. The business began with coats designed in a hotel room, and its first major buyer was the department store Bonwit Teller.
Key steps in the development of the business include:
- A signature jeans line that became a mainstream success in the 1970s
- Expansion into underwear, fragrance, beauty, watches, jewellery and home
- Flagship stores designed with the architect John Pawson
- The sale of Calvin Klein, Inc. to Phillips-Van Heusen in 2003, after which Klein served as a creative consultant until 2006
Influence on the fashion business
Klein helped turn designer fashion into a mass market proposition. He pioneered designer jeans and redefined underwear and fragrance as aspirational, branded categories, making designer quality accessible to a wide audience. His advertising was famously bold, including a supplement of more than 100 pages in Vanity Fair in 1991, and set new standards for image led brand building. According to Harvard Graduate School of Design, the company reached more than seven billion dollars in global retail sales.
He received the Coty American Fashion Critics' Award in 1973 and became the youngest designer elected to the Coty Hall of Fame in 1975. He won several CFDA awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, and Time named him one of the most influential Americans in 1996.
Why it matters
Calvin Klein's model, a designer collection at the top supporting a broad portfolio of jeans, underwear, fragrance and licences, became a template for American lifestyle brands. His influence is still visible at the brand today: when Veronica Leoni presented her debut Calvin Klein Collection show in February 2025, Klein described it as "Fabulous and very Calvin".
Frequently asked questions
Who is Calvin Klein?
Calvin Klein is an American fashion designer who founded the Calvin Klein company in 1968 with Barry Schwartz. He is known for minimalist design, designer jeans and influential advertising.
Does Calvin Klein still own his brand?
No. Calvin Klein, Inc. was sold to Phillips-Van Heusen in 2003, and Klein served as a creative consultant until 2006. The brand is now part of PVH Corp.