The Name That Is Calvin Klein
By Denise R. Lake

Calvin Klein is a fashion designer who was born on November 19th, 1942, within the Bronx, New York, and was raised within borough's Mosholu Parkway section, a middle-class Jewish neighborhood of 1st and 2nd-generation immigrants. While a teenager, Klein had a passion for drawing and fashion, oftentimes spending hours upon hours sketching ladies in dresses and suits. Upon graduation from the High School of Design and Art, Klein learned about apparel design in Manhattan's pre-eminent Fashion Technology Institute, where Klein met a fellow student named Jayne Centre. The duo married within 1964, just two years after Klein finished up his course work.

Inspired by the unpretentious and fresh style of New York's youth, Calvin set out to start his own line within 1968. With a bit of financial help by Barry Schwartz, a friend from childhood, he paid an area seamstress in order to design a handful of dresses and coats. The merchandise manager from Bonwit Teller came to Calvin's dirty showroom and noticed the collection. Within a few weeks, the chic store bought $50,000 worth of clothing and showed the samples within 8 of their coveted windows. Shortly thereafter, Klein developed a designer sportswear line.

Through the fashion field, word spread rapidly concerning Calvin and his smooth designs, that were now showed frequently in Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. Within the 70s, he presented his signature jeans, that he rose to designer status by cutting them tight, then branding his name upon the pockets. A sequence of provocative ads developed a designer jean craze amongst purchasers, who were buying above 40,000 pairs weekly.

Within 1982, by adding his logo and style to briefs and boxers, Calvin Klein conquered the underclothing marketplace. He blurred boundaries between sexes, making masculine bikinis made for ladies. Within the 1980s, Klein got into the fragrance marketplace with the launching of Eternity and Obsession.

The label extended over a period of time to involve eyewear, hosiery, accessories and swimwear. Within the 1990s, he began to make a less expensive accessories and casual apparel line underneath the brand CK. With his signature minimalist designs, Calvin got into the home d�cor marketplace, in which accessories that ranged from bedding linens to bath towels bore his name. His more recent endeavor is Calvin Klein Cosmetics, a makeup line sold only within fine department stores. To this day, Klein Incorporated exceeds six billion dollars within yearly sales.

Denise R. Lake is a fashion enthusiast and style blogger. Her winter fashion recommendations include the classic pea coat [http://www.peacoat.net] and ballet flats [http://www.ballet-flats.org].

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