Last month Calvin Klein announced that ended it’s relationship with Raf Simons nine months before his contract would have expired. It came as a shock because it was yet another proof that American brands can’t be reinvented in the European luxury model.
Under Simons Calvin Klein was going towards success. Designer worked magic at Jil Sander and brought modernity to Dior which boosted sales for both.
Success in fashion depends on understanding the market. Crowding your Instagram with influencers isn’t enough. It takes imagination on both the creative and the corporate sides to push an industry forward. Both Simons and the executive team at Calvin Klein realized it much too late. But for now, we just lost one of the best European designers ever to come to this country and try.
