CALVIN KLEIN has cast his verdict on the state of fashion today, and it seems that the veteran designer – who sold his eponymous company in 2002 – is less than impressed with several aspects of the industry. First up, he doesn’t agree with casting models who don’t seem to “represent” the brand – however many followers they have – although he is a fan of Justin Bieber for CK Underwear, he insisted he is “not that familiar” with Kendall Jenner’s outing for the label. And secondly, he firmly believes that dressing world-famous celebrities doesn’tnecessarily translate to sales.
“So many people wanted to be on a billboard or in an ad or in a commercial, and for sure Justin Bieber wanted to do it. I thought that was really good,” Klein said during a talk with Fern Mallis in New York, Fashionista reports. “When I say I like Justin Bieber in the Calvin Klein Underwear campaign, it’s because I like him – not because he’s got millions of followers. Now, models are paid for how many followers they have. They’re booked not because they represent the essence of the designer – which is what I tried to do – they’re booked because of how many followers they have online. I don’t think that, long-term, is going to work. I don’t think that’s a great formula for success for the product you’re trying to sell. However, if you take really exquisite photographs of the right people in the right clothes in the right location, and you put it online, that’s fine. Just putting any old clothes on Kim Kardashian, long-term, isn’t going to do a thing.”
“When I see motorcycle jackets for $2,000 that are distressed or ripped jeans from couture designers, I think to myself, ‘Are they kidding me?’ We’ve been doing this for 30 years. It’s not new,” he said. “I understand why it’s young and cool, but there is a thing about respect for women and trying to make women look as beautiful as they possibly can, and also creating new things. There’s a lot that’s going on that’s disappointing. They [designers] stay two years and their contract’s up, and then they think they have invented the name Dior or Saint Laurent or Balenciaga. Everyone’s replaceable. A lot of designers get replaced, and often get forgotten.”
Though many designers might disagree with his views, Klein was pulling no punches, denouncing recent developments at several key houses as “disappointing”.