The rumours were true! Raf Simons has been named as Calvin Klein’s new chief creative officer
In a move that surprised pretty much no one in the industry, Raf Simons has finally taken his next step post-Dior - as the newly appointed chief creative officer of Calvin Klein. He fills the shoes left by womenswear head Francisco Costa and menswear designer Italo Zucchelli, who both departed the American label in April.
The news was announced on Calvin Klein's social channels this morning and is part of a company strategy to unify all facets of the brand. Simons will head up ck Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Jeans, Calvin Klein and both men's and women's ready-to-wear. He'll have complete creative control over the branding of everything - including the Calvin Klein beauty and homewares lines. Simon's sleek, minimalist aesthetic is a not only a seamless fit for Calvin Klein; but no doubt this consolidation of everything under one man's vision will signal a new direction for the brand and bring some cohesiveness to the various arms of the business.
Simons' longtime colleague Pieter Mulier has been appointed his right hand man at Calvin Klein, and as anyone who's seen Dior and I will attest, he plays a major role in Raf's creative process. This exciting news follows last month's appointment of Maria Grazia Chiuri to Simon's old Dior post last month. Just another move in fashion's ever-evolving game of chess, really.