Platinum shine

HONG KONG - From two iconic lower-case letters to a metal that evokes status and shine, ck Calvin Klein - a diffusion brand of minimalist American label Calvin Klein - has been relaunched as the Calvin Klein platinum label.

The spring/summer 2014 apparel collection, which will hit stores in Singapore next Wednesday, marks the debut of the label.

Like its previous incarnation, the platinum label is positioned between the higher-end Collection brand and the lower-end Calvin Klein Jeans.

The brand's global creative director, Mr Kevin Carrigan, explains that the move was in line with the design house's plans to unify and elevate the different brands under the Calvin Klein name.

"In today's confused and over-saturated market, we really need to capitalise and push forward with the megabrand name," said Mr Carrigan in an interview with Urban recently.

In addition to the platinum label, the 48-year-old Englishman oversees the white label, a diffusion line available only in the United States, and the brand's jeans and underwear lines. The Collection, shoes and accessories, and home sections are helmed by other designers.

The affable New York-based Carrigan goes on to say that the Calvin Klein customer has evolved and become more sophisticated, particularly in this era abundant with information and brand choice.

"We're a brand that really didn't need reinventing," he says, referring to the name and aesthetic of the house, which is widely recognised as a pioneer in minimalist fashion and sportswear.

"But we have to 'fast forward' the codes of the brand for a new generation, which means keeping it relevant for today and elevating and upgrading the brand for a consumer with very high expectations of fashion." One of the biggest concrete changes shoppers will be able to see in the new platinum label is the use of better quality fabrics such as cashmere, alpaca and tropical wools from Italy, and futuristic fabrics from Japan, such as acetates and polyesters.

"It's a kind of a fusing of Calvin Klein classicism with contemporary innovations and fabrics," says the designer.

While the price points, which will range from $229 for a men's shirt to $4,800 for a leather coat, are about 15 to 20 per cent higher than ck Calvin Klein, Mr Carrigan insists that the items are still value-for-money because of the high quality of the material and workmanship.

Design-wise, the spring/summer 2014 line evokes a "warmer minimalism" in line with the changing designs veering away from the Calvin Klein of the past.

The collection features relaxed silhouettes in pure fabrics, with many in the label's namesake platinum colour and with touches of sporty elements, such as racerback tanks and dresses.

"I think in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there was more perfection in minimalism and it was more angular and robotic," says the designer, who was hired by Mr Klein in 1998.

"There's now a warming up, a return to individuality, where a new tribe and generation of people wear it, not head to toe, but in their own way."

The platinum label's debut is a definite highlight of the workaholic designer's 10-year reign as global creative director. Calvin Klein, over that time, has grown immensely, going from US$1 billion in sales to more than US$8 billion (S$10 billion) last year.

Personally, Mr Carrigan says that his outsider perspective lets him recognise the core elements of the brand quickly.

"When I moved to New York 15 years ago, a small boy from the Lake District, I remember the energy and the feeling from the street," he says with a wry nostalgia.

"Moving to the West Village and seeing outdoor basketball players was such a new concept, having come from sheep and cows, and fields and lakes."

That sporty, athletic energy of New York, as well as its stylish spin on iconic American pieces, such as the sweatshirt, T-shirt and five-pocket jeans, are aspects of the brand that would surely endure, says Mr Carrigan, who studied at the Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication and the Royal College of Art and Design, before spending time working for fashion brands Max Mara and Nicole Farhi.

Like every designer, he has entertained thoughts of striking out on his own. However, the scope of his work at Calvin Klein is a unique privilege that would be hard to give up, he says.

"I don't think there's any other designer in the world who has worked with or has had access to that pool of creative talent," he adds, rattling off a long list of fashion's who's who, including photographers Steven Meisel and the "Mert and Marcus" duo of Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Looking forward, the elevation and refinement of the brand's signature sporty minimalist look will continue, with dreams of growing it into a US$12 billion brand.

"Calvin always said - repetition is reputation."

llim@sph.com.sg

Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.