Lela Luxe Fashion Week: Calvin Klein

Fashion designer. Born November 19, 1942, in the Bronx, New York, Klein was raised in the borough's Mosholu Parkway section, a middle-class Jewish community of first and second-generation immigrants. As a teenager, he developed a passion for fashion and drawing, often spending hours on end sketching women in suits and dresses. Following his graduation from the High School of Art and Design, Klein studied apparel design at Manhattan's preeminent Fashion Institute of Technology, where he met fellow student Jayne Centre. The two married in 1964, two years after Klein completed his course work.

Inspired by the fresh and unpretentious style of New York's urban youth, Klein set out to launch his own clothing company in 1968.

In the early 1970s, he introduced his trademark jeans, which he elevated to designer status by cutting them tight and branding his name on the back pocket.

Calvin Klein is readily remember by his fabulously provocative underwear ads, which probably make Emporio Armani undie ads look Victorian. He had Brook Shields front one of the campaigns....at15 years old. Imagine that happening today? Not only did she front the campaign but she also whispered the famous line--"You know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing" . How dainty! He was under super scrutiny and was even denounced by former President Bill Clinton for his non stop ads featuring teenagers in super-sexy poses. And how can we forget the ads with Kate Moss, Mark Wahlberg, and Antonio Sabato Jr.

Calvin was also the creator of the masculine bikini for women and basically sensually charged the fragrance industy with the launch of Obsession and Eternity in the 1980's.

Before divorcing in 1974, Klein and Centre had a daughter, Marci. In 1986, Klein married socialite and photographer Kelly Rector; they have since divorced.

The firm was founded in 1968 by Barry Schwartz and Calvin Klein, who were its sole owners until clothing maker Phillips-Van Heusen bought the company in 2003. For the 25th anniversary of the company, actor Djimon Hounsou modelled Calvin Klein underpants on billboards.

Now here's the Mens Fall 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection by Calvin Klein: (photography by Marcio Madeira for Vogue.com)

Click here for the Lela Luxe Fashion Week schedule to see who’s coming up tomorrow and the rest of the week. Lots of interviews, collections and more!

Stay Fabulous,
Lela
xx