Calvin Klein design chiefs axed

Calvin Klein design will be overseen by one person from now on after a reshape which led to the departure of its two most senior designers.

The US-based global fashion brand, owned by PVH Corp, has announced that Francisco Costa, (pictured) the brand’s women’s creative director and Italo Zucchelli, the men’s creative director, will be leaving the company.

It has not named the new creative head.

“This creative strategy marks the beginning of another significant chapter in Calvin Klein’s brand legacy since Mr Klein’s retirement,” announced Steve Shiffman, Calvin Klein CEO.

“I would like to thank Francisco and Italo for their unwavering commitment to the Calvin Klein brand and their accomplishments over the past decade. They have both contributed immensely to making Calvin Klein a global leader in the fashion industry, and they have done so with dedication, focus and creativity.”

He said the strategy is part of “a global evolution” in the direction of the Calvin Klein brand, which began with the reacquisition of its jeans and underwear businesses in 2013. As the company continues to build itself into a $10 billion global retail sales business, this undertaking will further solidify the brand’s positioning worldwide and pave the way for future long-term global growth. The new brand direction will ultimately follow one creative vision across all categories of the business.

An announcement on who will head design moving forward “will be made in due course,” the company said.

Besides Calvin Klein, PVH Corp owns Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen, Izod, Arrow, Speedo, Warner’s and Olga brands.