Book Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein is an American fashion designer whose name became a global byword for clean, modern style. After an apprenticeship in 1962 with the New York cloak-and-suit maker Dan Millstein, he spent five years designing for other shops in the city before going out on his own. In 1968 he started his first company alongside Barry K. Schwartz, a friend since childhood, who provided the startup money and became his business manager. Working out of a hotel room, Klein began by designing coats, and an early order from a buyer at the department store Bonwit Teller helped him get established. Mentored by Baron de Gunzburg, he was introduced to New York's fashion elite, and his first major show at New York Fashion Week marked him as a rising star, with critics comparing his clean, modern lines to those of Yves Saint Laurent. His fitted signature jeans, introduced in 1974, became an instant sensation and helped define designer denim. The brand went on to span fragrances, watches and jewelry as well as clothing. Klein received the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, and he offers rare perspective on branding and American fashion.