Calvin Klein Inc. and Raf Simons said Friday night that Simons is leaving his post as chief creative officer.
Both parties have amicably decided to part ways after Klein decided on a new brand direction which differs from Simons’ creative vision.
Calvin Klein will not show during New York Fashion Week in February.
The news confirms WWD reports of growing tension between Calvin Klein executives and Simons.
According to sources, the company decided in September to reduce some of Simons’ responsibilities and wanted him to agree to a new contract with fewer responsibilities. Sources said Klein decided certain areas of the business such as store design, visual merchandising, e-commerce, public relations and communications, and corporate social responsibility would report to Marie Gulin-Merle, chief marketing officer, rather than Simons, who had been given total responsibility for all creative areas when he joined in August 2016.
In late November, Emanuel Chirico, chairman and chief executive officer of PVH Corp., parent company of Calvin Klein, said in rather blunt terms on the company’s earnings call that the reimagined Calvin Klein – under Simons’ direction – is not working. He said the collection, renamed 205W39NYC, needed to become more commercial and that investments in the collection and advertising would be
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