Calvin Richard Klein is an
AmericanThe people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
fashion designer who launched the company that would later become
Calvin Klein Inc.Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry.
Early years
Klein was born in The Bronx to Jewish-Hungarian immigrants. He attended the
High School of Art and DesignThe High School of Art and Design is a Career and Technical Education high school located at 1075 Second Avenue, between 56th and 57th Streets in Manhattan, New York City, New York.It is operated by the New York City Department of Education...
and matriculated at, but never graduated from, New York's
Fashion Institute of TechnologyThe Fashion Institute of Technology, generally known as FIT, is a State University of New York college of art, business, design, and technology connected to the fashion industry, with an urban campus located on West 27th Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of...
, receiving an honorary Doctorate in 2003. He did his apprenticeship in 1962 at an oldline cloak-and-suit manufacturer, Dan Millstein, and spent five years designing at other
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
shops. In 1968, he launched his first company with a childhood friend,
Barry K. SchwartzBarry K. Schwartz is an American businessman, Thoroughbred racehorse owner, and a former horse racing industry executive. The son of a grocer who was murdered when Barry was twenty-one-years old, Schwartz grew up in a one-bedroom apartment in The Bronx...
.
Klein was one of several design leaders raised in the Jewish immigrant community in the Bronx,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, along with
Robert DenningRobert Denning was an American interior designer whose lush interpretations of French Victorian decor became an emblem of corporate raider tastes in the 1980s.-Early life:...
and
Ralph LaurenRalph Lauren is an American fashion designer and business executive; best known for his Polo Ralph Lauren clothing brand.-Early life:...
. Klein became a protégé of
Baron de Gunzburg, 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. Klein was immediately recognized for his talent after his first major showing at
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Fashion Week. Klein was hailed as the new Yves Saint-Laurent, and was noted for his clean lines.
Personal life
In 1964, Klein married Jayne Centre, with whom he had a daughter,
MarciMarci Klein is a four-time Emmy Award-winning American television producer who is best known for her work on 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live...
, who currently works as Talent Producer for NBC's
Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. Klein and Centre filed for divorce in 1974.
In the year of 1974, Klein moved on to design the tight fitting jeans that would sell $200,000 in their first week. Klein was also the first designer to receive outstanding design in men’s and women’s wear from the
CFDAThe Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. is a not-for-profit trade association of over 350 of America’s foremost fashion and accessory designers. As of 2009, Diane von Fürstenberg is the group's President and Steven Kolb is the Executive Director...
award show in the same year.
In 1978, Klein's daughter Marci was kidnapped and held for 9 hours until a $100,000 ransom was paid. Police apprehended the culprits.
In 1986, Klein married Kelly Rector, who worked for the company and is also a graduate of the Fashion Institute in NYC. She became a well known socialite photographer. The two were divorced in 2006.
Currently, Klein is dating model Nick Gruber.
In 2003, Klein bought an ocean-front estate in Southampton Village in the Hamptons, Long Island, NY.
Klein is a prolific donor to
Democratic PartyThe Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
political causes, having given over $250,000 to candidates and
PACIn the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
s since 1980.
Awards
In 1983 Klein was placed on the
International Best Dressed ListThe International Best Dressed List was founded by fashionista Eleanor Lambert in 1940 as an attempt to boost the reputation of American fashion at the time.People who have been on the list include from A to Z:-The International Hall of Fame: Women:...
.
Also in 1981, 1983, 1993, he received an award from Councils of Fashion Designs of America.
Other
Klein made a cameo appearance in Season 3, Episode 15, of the television series
30 Rock30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
.
External links