Could the grand Raf Simons experiment at Calvin Klein Inc. be in jeopardy?
Emanuel Chirico, chairman and chief executive officer of PVH Corp., parent company of Calvin Klein, last week stated for the first time — and in unusually blunt terms, even for an executive known for being a straight-shooter — that the reimagined Calvin Klein isn’t clicking.
“While many of the product categories performed well, we are disappointed by the lack of return on our investments in our Calvin Klein 205W39NYC halo business and believe that some of the Calvin Klein Jeans’ relaunched product was too elevated and did not sell through as well as we planned,” Chirico said as the group released third-quarter results. He vowed to quickly implement a new, more commercial direction for the iconic American brand.
Describing Simons’ overhaul of Calvin Klein Jeans, Chirico said, “From a product perspective, we went too far, too fast on both fashion and price. We are working on fixing this fashion miss, and we believe that our CK Jeans offering will be much more commercial and fashion-right beginning in 2019, especially for the fall 2019 season.”
Chirico’s statements highlighted the gulf that often exists between critical acclaim and commercial realities, and the complex relationship
Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.
Read More…