Calvin Klein quietly launches first Raf Simons collection

Without much fanfare, press release blitz or savvy Instagram campaign, Calvin Klein has quietly unveiled its first collection by Raf Simons, its new Chief Creative Officer.

On Sunday the brand released a series of fourteen looks under a new 'By Appointment' moniker. Simons' handwriting can be widely recognised, working with longtime collaborators photographer Willy Vanderperre and stylist Olivier Rizzo to create the images, which feature Millie Bobby Brown, Abbey Lee, Julia Nobis, and Samantha Eldridge in haute Calvin Klein, each photographed alongside a pair of iconic white briefs.

From underwear to bespoke fashion

Several soundbites tell us Simons is keen to move from iconic underwear to bespoke fashion and that the collection is 'presented in the photographic tradition of Calvin Klein: Utilizing billboards, newspapers and the Internet.'

The major shakeup is its new By Appointment service is available to everyone, not just celebrities and spokespeople for the atelier as was previously de rigeur. The fourteen looks can be ordered from April 1st and embody embroidered, tailored and considered fashion with a traditional, handcrafted sensibility. It has now become a bonafide collection in its own right.

According to its website, the collection is a tribute to the craft of the Calvin Klein atelier, celebrating its full range of handcrafting skills from embroidery to tailoring. Simons stated: “Calvin Klein is not only about iconic underwear and jeans – it’s about so much more. Calvin Klein By Appointment 1-14 is very much about celebrating the American woman and American fashion.”

“It is driven by character; it’s about a woman feeling empowered and being her own person in what she wears.” Pieter Mulier, Creative Director Calvin Klein, and Raf Simons' right hand man.

The shoot features a cast of distinct individuals bringing Simons' idea to life, 'chosen for who they are, where an essential strength of character is key. Whether famous or unknown, all are treated equally.'

Photo credit: Calvin Klein CKBA 1-14, source: CalvinKlein.com