When Calvin Klein boarded the runway surrounded by more than a dozen perfect models dressed in white, the worship of San Francisco\'s most charming hound was evident in I.
Boutique Klein.
They took part in the West Coast premiere of Klein\'s luxury Spring Series, an elegant and sexy tour from American fashion icons.
Ladies marinate chicken lunch in a room completely decorated in black and white with asparagus.
Then the lights are dim, the spots are bright, the long-legged mannequin, and loose hair floats on the runway, accompanied by unforgettable chorus music.
When the other person captures all the eyes, each pause comes back and forth in an arrogant posture, sand and exit.
After the spontaneous \"oohhs\", with women graffiti in the program, bursts of applause welcome favorite clothing.
Decorated in smoky blue tones
Gray, Klein showed some signs of fatigue due to the constant demands of celebrities. A six-
The footer, his casual brown hair is sparse on it, the designer is sturdy and almost bone-like, and his dark eyes are a bit sunken.
After the show, when the women surrounded him, those eyes flashed the light of life, luxurious compliments and asking for their toll cards to buy his lace tights, cashmere sweaters, silk
The night before, a group of socialites hosted him in front of the star of the fashion restaurant.
\"People are fascinated by Calvin\'s lifestyle,\" said Rose Mary Bravo, magning\'s chief executive and show host.
\"They wanted to know what made him so great, a little dangerous and outrageous.
He is a mysterious star.
Caman rutenstein, fashion director at Bloomingdale, recalls the opening of a store on the Philadelphia Main Line, Bill Blas, Donna Callan, Louis Dale Oreo and
The women flocked to Klein.
\"Our customers are crazy for Calvin,\" he said . \".
\"I had to hide him in the living room in order for him to have a rest.
\"There is a fit between the appeal of clothing and the worship of designers, who have maintained stability and strength throughout the countless stages of his career.
A mature and creative person who once
The way hedonism brought him close to himselfdestruction.
However, as he approached the age of 50, Klein had reshaped himself to become a rustic gentleman living in gorgeous insulation with his trophy wife.
Through these changes, even if the public takes a closer look at his every move, he maintains a mysterious aura, a vague image. Klein\'s keep-\'em-
Guessing character characters provides fun for currency in the fashion world.
At the heart of Klein\'s mystery is a strange paradox: the millionaire creator of clothing and perfume ---
As we all know, some people think he is a brand, not a person. -
Double signature.
The costumes brought by his studio are usually clean, streamlined and easygoing, but his market position is achieved through the inner power of sexy advertising.
His wonderful campaign overshadowed the exquisite simplicity of his clothes.
Stroll in the smooth glassand-
Woodklein boutique in South Coast Plaza Costa Mesa, one of the five rich enclave in the country, you will be very hard
Press to find motorcycle leather with positive hip wear, half
Naked prodigal son in his advertisement.
Jeans, shirts and crew
Affordable neck sweater and trendy cocktail dress for $1,000.
Since Klein proposed 15-year-
\"Do you know what happened between me and my Calvins?
\"Nothing,\" he boldly persuaded the consumer ---
Some people call it porn. -
Advertising of ordinary products such as jeans, underwear and perfume.
At the same time, his fashion collection is highly regarded for its classic mood and simplicity.
Dawn Melo, Gucci\'s creative director in Milan, summed up his contribution: \"Calvin is not only a top designer in the United States, but also one of the top designers on the international stage.
He is famous for American sportswear, but his influence is much greater.
He represents a unique style: simple, no gimmicks, low-key, refined.
He designed clothes that many women wanted to wear.
\"Last fall, when his new spring outfit series, after the infamous sportswear promotion, won the popularity of classic beauty women, the paradox was boldly alleviated. Klein\'s 116-
The page ad for Vanity Fair\'s October issue adds a word-by-word to spark intense fantasies about rock, motorcycle and beautiful young bodies.
However, when the spring series debuted in November, the response focused on the complexity of the series.
Alan G said it pleased observers who were exhausted by the 1980 stunt, an era in which women \"looked like walking chandeliers.
Millstein, editor of Fashion Network reports.
Milstein first mentioned the poufy candy from Paris sofa designer Christian Lacroix, whose post-80 s evening dress was a symbol of excessive behavior in that era.
Klein believes that the important elements of spring are a mix of pure fabrics, multi-functional cardigan jackets and patterns.
He claims that length is not an issue and that he supports his position by showing in the middle of the compromisecalf, ankle-
Length and above-the-knee skirts.
His opaque natural sand-colored fabric is wrapped around the body and wrapped on it.
The long dress made of soft silk is close to the body through the hips, and then relax into the talent that women can walk easily.
Some people have their legs cut high and sexy.
Sweaters, dresses, and jackets are exposed to color effect in deep V cut, and tight fabric gives a new meaning to the word \"tight.
Women\'s Wear Daily announces Klein\'s spring series as one of Perry Ellis\'s four best collections, along with Donna Cullen, Ralph Lauren and Mark Jacobs.
Mary Locke, fashion editor at The Times, wrote: \"His clarity, his singles
A thoughtful view sets him apart.
Twenty years ago, he returned to his own starting point and restored the distinctive but sensual look of winning \"Sir\" for him.
Cleaning badges a few years ago
Joan Carney, senior vice president of Neiman Marcus in New York, said: \"Calvin\'s long dress works because he shows his legs and uses pure fabric.
They feel very casual and free, not lazy.
His suit is very good and easy to wear.
They are designed for people who don\'t want to disrupt their lives with gimmicks.
Klein is familiar with the praise of the fashion Crow.
Unfortunately, in the long run, the top of these successesof-the-
Online apparel accounts for only 10% of sales at Calvin Klein
Klein\'s close holding company with partner Barry K. Schwartz.
Klein\'s empire was built on what he used to be.
The dominant casual wear is now the weakest part of his company.
Keeping Klein\'s household sportswear in recession, competition, and some theory that the aging baby boomers have been stagnant under the ever-changing pressure of clothing.
From a high of $0. 24 billion in 1987, overall sales fell nearly 20% in 1990 to $0. 197 billion.
In the first three quarters of 1991, disgusting erosion continued, a further $20 million decrease compared to the first nine months of anemia.
Profits have been cut.
Klein lost money in 1986, 88 and 90 and managed to earn $2.
The first three quarters of last year were 7 million.
Only the royalties on authorized products such as underwear and perfume have steadily increased (
Mainly obsession and eternity)
Last year, the price of shoes, sewing patterns, pajamas, socks, fur, coats, swimwear and socks was about $21 million, powering Klein\'s operations.
The licensee uses the designer\'s label to make the item and pays 5% to 10% of the sales for the privilege.
Klein is not alone in the downturn.
Dozens of garment manufacturers have filed for bankruptcy.
The department store they rely on is struggling with mountain debt, while the bragging Union Department Store (
Bloomingdale, Abraham Strauss rich
From bankruptcy and the Empire of Messi (I.
Magning in block)
Last month, it applied for protection of creditors in Chapter 11 restructuring.
Milstein said, \"the Post-90 s will be the last end of the world in traditional stores and department stores.
This is a decade of discount stores.
Nowadays, the price is more important than fashion.
\"As the fashion industry prepares for a tougher time, Klein faces the challenge of reinventing the company for the post-90 s.
Klein was plagued by business issues and angered by media reports about these dilemmas, so declined to be interviewed.
But when Barbara Walters of ABC \"20/20\" asked him in December why his sportswear department was not doing well, he did not mention the market research, there is no recognition that his products can be used in Gap and J.
Much less crew.
He replied: \"I think it\'s because it needs my personal feelings more.
\"During the ten years of chatting with the stars that kids in jeans adore, Klein\'s touch has no doubt touched the pulse of young Americans.
But when designers fall into a calm middle age and devote themselves to cocoons, these figures suggest Klein has lost his ability to race young beans.
Calvin Klein touch was cultivated in the Bronx and during \"40\" and \"50\" He grew up around the corner of Ralph livesz and is now Ralph
Young Calvin and his best friend Barry Schwartz attended 80 public schools in Mosholu Parkway.
Calvin\'s father opened a grocery store in Harlem. at-
Mom and Grandma are passionate about beautiful clothes.
Calvin often goes with her to the Loman department store, one of the first fashion designer brand discount stores.
He graduated from the Manhattan School of Fashion Technology in 1962.
Klein\'s first job was to create sketches for coat and suit manufacturers.
Two years later, he left, started several different jobs, including working as a copywriter in women\'s daily, and then borrowed $10,000 from current partner Schwartz to set up Calvin Klein.
At the beginning of 1968, the two opened a small room at the York Hotel on 7 th Avenue in the center of the fashion district.
From Schwartz-
To make money, Klein created his first batch of young, low-key coats and skirts.
In Klein\'s showroom, a clever Teller stopped by chance.
He was impressed by what he saw, so he asked Klein to make an appointment with Mildred casterding, the powerful fashion director of bonvey.
What happens next is the legend on fashion boulevard: a few days later, perfectionist Klein pushed his sample rack to the 20 blocks of bonvette, regardless of the wheel broken, to make sure the clothes don\'t wrinkle because they lie in a taxi seat.
Custin snapped up shares worth $50,000.
Klein recalled that in an interview, \"everything that was shipped to bonway was sold immediately and the news spread quickly.
Everyone in this country is on the phone and I can\'t supply everyone. . . .
Those days were great.
\"With the development of the women\'s rights movement, American women are free of the shackles of fashion slavery and welcome Klein\'s young, neat lines.
In 1973, Klein won the first award of the American fashion critic Coty Award for three consecutive sessions, citing his \"non-compliance, classic\" style.
He entered the Hall of Fame in 1975.
In this era, young husbands and fathers who have designed polyester clothes will certainly take off those clothes in the middle --
Class clothing, wake up and smell the star.
He divorced his wife, Jayne, and moved to the east, hanging out at a gay bar with celebrities ---
Among them are Andy Warhol and Steve ruber from the infamous disco Studio 54. -
And vacation in gay enclave such as Fire Island pine, N. Y.
Key West of Florida
He is addicted to stability and alcohol. It was at 4 a. m.
In fact, in Studio 54, Klein first discussed the issue of marching into designer denim clothing with a senior executive of the clothing manufacturer, the Qing-Christian fashion company.
As a leading fashionista, Klein once again demonstrated his ability to feel the stylish atmosphere by combing the most American of all casual styles: blue jeans.
His idea is simple.
Klein named him in his modified pocket.
Jeans are sold in sportswear areas of high-end department stores such as block and I.
Maging, and charge a premium of about 50% over Li weisstrauss, Li and maumans. Form-
\"Calvins\" is the first denims named after the main figure on Seventh Avenue, which captures the moment of the United States.
Jeans sold an amazing 200,000 pairs in the first week of 1978.
In order to keep the bubble expanding, he chose the sweet and inviting Brooke Shields as his spokesperson to enjoy the fun of sex.
\"Jeans,\" he said, to the chagrin of those who care more about comfort and durability, \"are about sex.
\"The topic fascinates him, and in his 1984 interview with Playboy, he admitted that during this time he had been extensively surveyed on a sample:\" Anything I want to do, I
Who I want to be with, I will be.
He insists, \"having sex with three or five people isn\'t as great as having sex with someone you really fall in love with,\" but on the other hand, I also think Anonymous sex is great: \"My best sex is with someone who doesn\'t know who I am.
\"Klein\'s first very successful perfume was launched with great fanfare in 1985, featuring his lifestyle;
He called it obsession.
It\'s no surprise that this well-known lifein-the-fast-
Ryan\'s presence has led to rumors that Klein is gay or bisexual.
He did not say anything about the issue, but since he was admitted to Lennox Hill Hospital in Manhattan in 1982, he has been plagued by rumors of AIDS.
So far, there is no convincing evidence that he is ill.
The fashion industry has been scarred by the epidemic, losing stars such as Harston and Perry Ellis.
Bankers and insurance companies usually need to test HIV for major fashion executives before they issue loans and policies.
The next big thing is androgeni.
In her early 80 s, Klein discovered a growing trend of common use between men and women.
The result is a series of lucrative men.
T-underwear
Underwear for ladies shirts.
Once again, the item was advertised in sexy ads, and soon after, jazzy men\'s underwear was foreshadowed by a sunburned, rippling brief photo --
The model in clothes went to the store.
Crazy car fans on dozens of New York buses broke the glass
Prevent shelters from stealing posters;
Klein installed a huge replica on a billboard in Times Square so he could see it from his car at work.
Klein and Schwartz paid themselves well for these exciting days: $4 million per person in 1977, $8.
According to various estimates, it was $5 million in 1981 and $12 million in 1984.
However, when Carl Vince\'s popularity peaked in 1983 and the total global retail sales reached about $0. 4 billion, the seeds of Klein\'s current problems were sown.
The jeans were authorized by the pilgrims, who died that year.
Klein and Schwartz were unhappy with the new management and took over the company for $66 million.
Their timing was terrible.
Soon after, the jeans market began diving as older consumers turned to loose
Sports clothing such as sportswear and tennis warm-up.
Bankers who had funded the Qing takeover became nervous, so Klein and Schwartz decided to refinance the debt in 1985.
The movie Barry Diller, a good friend of Schwartz
Industry insiders introduced him to Dreiser Burnham Lambert garbage
Bond czar Michael Milken issued $80 million
Klein bond interest
Like many companies with expensive post-80 s debt, Calvin Klein
Especially in the case of a decline in sales caused by the recession, it has been difficult to pay interest.
Although Schwartz and Klein own their own companies, issuing bonds requires them to submit financial data to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The documents disclosed the situation as of the 23rd. 28, long-
Long-term debt totaled $54. 6 million.
The principal of $15.
There will be £ 3 million due this year and the same amount next year-
For a company that is barely profitable, the burden is really heavy.
From his 10 th.
Klein designed a counter-attack at the floor office on West 39 street last summer to counter designers who replaced his dominant position on designer jeans ---
Guess the DKNY from Gebert and Karan.
These lines are thriving by many young people hesitating to wear the same labels that used to hang on their parents\' skin.
Klein\'s first scene came back to his attempt. and-
Real recipe for sexy promotions.
But in order to score, he had to design something more shocking than before.
After all, he told fashion about his ad for three years, \"I \'ve done everything I can and done it in a provocative way without being arrested
\"It is indeed a provocation. A high-
The seemingly endless inserts in Vanity Fair in last October drew outrage from critics, including clothing professionals, who condemned it as pornographic.
Meanwhile, collectors quickly raised their market value to around $30.
The ad adds a description of a rock concert, a type of body, fun activity with jeans as a custom costume.
\"Cowboy and skin, this is the theme of a rock concert,\" Klein told WWD . \".
The collection of sexy fuzzy images includes male band members wearing jeans and leather jackets touching the nude, half
Naked and a woman in a full set of clothes, then undress and date.
The story includes sculpture poses where the limbs of men and women are intertwined, two men partially dressed in clothes lying on the bed, and a large head that is taking a bath, some call masturbation.
A black and white photo taken by photographer Bruce Webb, who made an advertisement for Klein perfume, starring sexy ingenue actress Carrey Otis, the supplement was defended by the instigators as \"fantasy\" some young, sexy, inflammatory stuff.
\"He said it was about jeans, and apparently that information reached the target because rutomi\'s Ruttenstein claimed that Klein jeans sales rose 30% over the next month.
Consumer surveys tested through video storyboards showed Klein perfume and jean ads were among the most popular print campaigns in the past five years.
On the other hand, some professionals are not interested in this.
A copy of J. complained: \"This method is too tired and too old . \"
Walter Thompson
Shoe tycoon Kenneth Kohl laughed at this in a recent ad: \"We briefly thought about running an 8-page ad in half an hour.
Nude model, shot by a famous photographer in a foreign country.
\"The current Calvin Klein perfume advertisement shows the body of men and women in a striking posture.
A naked man and woman stood on the swing, and their rocking body pressed down from the waist, representing obsession.
The effect is a gorgeous Y.
A sculpture of ecstasy and love.
Klein\'s campaign is recognized as avant-garde.
Both avant-garde and art and scandal.
\"Klein did a great job in consumer goods,\" insisted Sidney Levy, chairman of the graduate marketing department at Northwestern University.
\"He\'s one of those --
A marginal person squeezed within an acceptable range.
His advertisement violates the taboo and shows us what we shouldn\'t see.
He presents nudity, sensuality and intimacy as human, real, desirable things.
\"Although Klein\'s promotion is aimed at young people, he is facing problems in the store and the price of his sportswear is beyond the budget of most young people.
Retailers in the United States, especially large department stores, put goods on prices rather than their appearance.
Price levels include high-end \"designers \";
Below is either \"bridge\" or \"Episode 2\" and also \"sportswear \".
\"Paradoxically, Klein asked the store to move his sportswear from the lower
Price department--
Shopping places for young people-
Higher Bridge height.
In other words, despite the sluggish retail environment, Klein is clearly indifferent to the appeal of rock and roll.
While his minimalism has been a great success at the top, some retailers complain that his sportswear is simple and hard to justify high prices.
At the same time, the sales gap has led the company to third place in sportswear, second only to Levi Strauss and Liz Klein.
The challenge Klein has yet to address is to convince consumers that his jeans are $20 higher than their value.
A senior clothing executive who asked not to be named said, \"people won\'t pay more just because of the labels.
I\'m worried that going to the market where the air is so thin will kill Calvin.
\"In the life of designers, the pressure is indomitable.
Up to 6 times a year, his or her creativity is considered to be the focus of reviewers and customers on the latest work.
The greater the success, the higher the expectation.
John Fairchild, an influential publisher of Women\'s Daily, pointed out in his book \"The fashionable barbarian\" that the lives of designers are at stake.
Rich people become poor overnight because designers subsidize their extravagant lifestyle by empowering their names to more and more products.
Their names will suddenly lose their appeal, and the licensee will change jobs. The danger is always lurking.
\"Balenciaga,\" Fairchild wrote when referring to the great Spanish designer, \"ended his day with little money.
After great commercial success, Dior and Coco Chanel did not leave wealth.
\"Klein, in her 80 s, is increasingly dependent on vodka and stability and is under increasing pressure.
Gucci\'s Mello recalls his 31-day stay in Hazelden, a Minnesota rehab center, and his courage to face problems.
\"A lot of people will solve the problem under the carpet.
Calvin called his friend and told us what had happened.
We know how much it will cost him to make those calls.
He needs our support and the whole industry supports him.
Klein called his hazden hotel The best thing I \'ve ever done in my life.
\"I have to control everything, I have to do everything myself,\" he said to Walters . \"
I believe I am the center of the universe since I was a child and I don\'t need anyone\'s help.
In fact, we all need help, and when I finally realized that I had to go for help and I couldn\'t do it myself, my life began to change.
\"A significant shift after the 80 s was that Klein gave up the nightclub, married to principal Kelly, a design assistant 15 years younger than him, and got rid of his addiction.
He celebrated his new stability with a fragrance called Eternity, which, unlike the obsession with heavy passion, projects a lighter, happier aura.
Kelly, a blue blood man in Connecticut with horses at home, was considered to have calmed the former crowd and introduced him to the noble way of life.
At Klein.
The couple spent $7 due to the economic downturn
Million townhouses on East 76 Street cost another $6 million
In addition, the weekend holiday in the East Hampton enclave.
In recent months, Vogue and W have splashed photos of paper towels on their pages, detailing the impeccable renovation of their 19 th hideout
Century Beach House is returned from the road by a long and rough driveway.
Kelly rode a horse and Calvin paddled a canoe at the nearby georgika pond.
His 90 s perfume?
This is called escape.
Designer Donna Karan said: \"Calvin\'s life seems to be balanced.
I will say he is very happy.
He is growing and dedicated to his family and work.
This is an extraordinary achievement.
\"Klein\'s awakening is correct in keeping with the times.
In any case, the country has now given up hard drinking, casual sex and crumpled clothes. The back-to-
The basic mood of the country is Klein\'s invitation to express his smooth, clean vision, which is the obvious winning feeling in his Spring Series.
However, the Times values prestige more.
Klein, a survivor and innovator, has been winning a notorious fickle and demanding business for 25 years. But the now-
The hardest thing Serene designer can sell is in front.