Raf Simons Exits Calvin Klein *Update* Calvin Klein to Exit Collection Business Entirely

[Nymphaea]

This is the result of how fashion is today: money making without soul.

 

[Wintergreen]

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[MulletProof]

ok. thanks, raf. happy holidays!

now watch this thread follow the same slow route of deterioration with the ever so fascinating 'who should be at CK/Dior/Chanel now? Phoebe! Paolo! Alessandra, she's unemployed too! what about Hedi? would love to see Stefano'. *checks out*

 

[andrew]

Well Stefano would be a good fit now that you say it

 

[dior_couture1245]

Well...as I said in the other thread this is no surprise. And ugly all around.

It sounds as though Raf made things very difficult...from his behavior to his demands to the product itself. All difficult. And in turn, the suits went difficult, too, and retaliated with a public smear campaign that has done great damage to Raf’s reputation.

I do not feel particularly sad for Raf. He has been on a high horse since his days at Dior. And his attitude showed in the collections and presentations. He talked a big talk...and the press and fashion victims died for it...that the work he was creating was so incredible. But the clothes never lived up to the all the fuss and it always felt like Emperor’s New Clothes. Everyone ate it up because it was Raf, not because it was any good.

That continued on through at CK.

Does anyone know if Pieter was involved with Jil Sander in the earlier years? I can sense his influence on the Couture trilogy, but don’t know if he was involved prior? I think it’s time to realize that those incredible Jil Sander years were a fluke. The simplicity and the discipline of those years is long gone. I, like others, hoped that Raf nesting at CK would bring out that sleek minimal and metropolitan look from him again after his failed attempt at Baroque modernism at Dior. Not so.

Anyway...the whole things wreaks of bad attitude. Raf and his team don’t seem to be capable of accepting any responsibility on their part that they ignored Calvin’s quite obvious brand DNA, pushed for a strange “arty” product and marketing strategy, weird brand names “205W.....”
It’s easy for everyone to blame the suits...but Raf, Pieter, Matthieu, Olivier and Wily played their part big time.

I don’t foresee Raf being hired anywhere big anytime soon. He needs a reality check.

 

[rip_ian curtis]

It could have been great, but unfortunately after the first show he took the wrong direction (well, even the first show was a stretch regarding the brand identity). It just wasn’t Calvin Klein at all and most of the things they presented looked quite ridiculous in fact. I’m not at all surprised how this ended up.

On paper CK and Raf worked because we thought after Dior he would be thrilled to indulge in restraint, modernism and minimalism again, but in the end he had a different idea. A mistake from him, I think.

Also the expectations from CK’s side were different than during Costa’s tenure. His Calvin Klein Collection was just there and he was able to design and produce things more like in a laboratory - experimenting without any pressure to actually sell the creations. I’m sure CK has been surprised to realise they don’t have actual footing in the luxury sector. I wouldn’t be surprised if they decide to abandon the luxury/high fashion collection altogether and relaunch as a more contemporary label. That’s what their business is in the end.

As for his successor - I have no idea. It will be difficult to take the brand back to what it was under Calvin and Costa. That’s why someone like Narciso is out of the question. I would imagine they go for someone younger and more street, and definitely someone with a more mainstream approach.

 

[HeatherAnne]

Who even can keep up with who is where now... who even cares to.

 

[rip_ian curtis]

As I always says when I read or hear someone saying that: Dior HC FW 2013 aka one of the most hideous collection of the decade.

Really? I think it’s a very chic collection and definitely one of his better ones at Dior, along his debut and farewell collections. To me most of his Dior resort collections and spring 2015 couture were total trash.

 

[helmutnotdead]

Oh, I really forgot her but I feel sad for Lulu's career.

Thanks for destroy her future, Raf.

 

[GivenchyHomme]

Oh, I really forgot her but I feel sad for Lulu's career.

Thanks for destroy her future, Raf.

If a model can’t make it without one designer then she shouldn’t be modeling. She’ll have to work hard and be successful on her own like everybody else.

 

[Lola701]

Really? I think it’s a very chic collection and definitely one of his better ones at Dior, along his debut and farewell collections. To me most of his Dior resort collections and spring 2015 couture were total trash.

It just felt confused and he tried to hard. The execution of the ideas and the outfits was bulky. A really bad collection IMO.
I liked his first few Prefall collections and for me, his best RTW was probably FW2014. It was the first time where he really captured the spirit of Dior without going literal...

As for Couture, yes, his debut collection was good. He played with his strength: tailoring. The rest was boring or gimmicky, with some cute looks sometimes.

It all come to the spirit and for me he never captured that. The same for MGC... She is doing the same old silhouette but she didn’t captured the spirit of the house so in doubt, she does New Look.

Galliano was wonderful because he understood Dior and he had the sensibility and the skills of a Couturier. The cut was always precise.

My favorite collection from him was FW2002 Couture. It wasn’t really quote on quote Dior but it had the exhuberance, the confidence and the techniques worthy of Dior.

 

[tctra]

He didn't know the brand he was desiging for. he thought literally slapping on a few american motifs every which way made it 'american.' that's about as lazy as it gets

 

[orchidee]

Credit: reddit/rupaulsdragrace

 

[GreyVetiver]

It’s a long shot but I’m really hoping they’d hire dion lee

 

[Deleted member 130879]

Oh, I really forgot her but I feel sad for Lulu's career.

Thanks for destroy her future, Raf.

THIS! This was my first thought. These "exclusive" models careers are completely destroyed. I hope this serves as a lesson to agents: making a girl exclusive to a brand is always a gamble and one that can turn to s*** any time! I never thought the girl had potential, I do think she is a one trick pony, but she deserved better.

As for the matter at hand, what I find more shocking is how everyone is throwing these amazing cult names around - you do understand that Raf was thrown out because of poor sales at a major mainstream brand, right? CK's attitude isn't one of getting an amazing designer to reinvent the brand, is one of getting a marketing ace to sell. At this moment, I wouldn't put past them a move like Virgil at LV. Gosha maybe?

Phoebe would be a dream but Phoebe doesn't SELL. They want a marketing win. Felipe Oliveira Baptista would be a better fit but I doubt he would be able to do anything to the brand.

 

[GERGIN]

it's the perfect ending to his exploration of what america is

Which quite frankly is a fashion disaster.

 

[ThatDudeOverTher]

Where is Frida Giannini, give her a call

 

[Benn98]

Oh, I really forgot her but I feel sad for Lulu's career.

Thanks for destroy her future, Raf.

Well at least she'll be rid of that God-awful cowboy outfit which she's got in denim, cotton and satin. Lulu will be the only collateral with Raf's exit. The rest of the models for most part kept their options open with editors and photographers.
Time for her and her agent to start dusting off their little black book and call up Meisel and Carine. She's still young in fashion terms. They can easily turn her career around. In fact, Cara Taylor's got the career she should've had.

 

[Gazillion]

It’s a long shot but I’m really hoping they’d hire dion lee

Yes! Dion Lee or Jonathan Saunders...

 

[Lola701]

Yes! Dion Lee or Jonathan Saunders...

Do we really need another brand doing pretty basic sportswear with cute prints and asymmetrical silhouettes?

NYC has a new fresh energy right now with some strong voices.
It’s maybe time to take a chance and take a risk.
If they wants to go safe, you have Phillip Lim & Derek Lam for it. They can do great separates and eye catching pieces.

Now that Calvin is in places like DSM or Barney’s and stuff, they have to be coherent for that crowd also.
Or they can call back Costa. Now he will be able to sell...