Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli Leave Calvin Klein
Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli Leave Calvin Klein
Yesterday afternoon a statement was released announcing the departure of Calvin Klein’s creative directors Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli. This exit is part of the brand’s effort to unify all sections of the Calvin Klein under a single head, as reflected in a statement from the company: “a new brand direction will ultimately follow one creative vision across all categories of the business. An announcement will be made in due course.” While rumors abound that Raf Simons will take their place, no successor has been confirmed.
Chief executive Steve Schiffman thanked the two creative directors in a company statement, praising their work for the brand over the last 13 years. “This creative strategy marks the beginning of another significant chapter in Calvin Klein’s brand legacy since Mr. Klein’s retirement. 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.”
Costa joined Calvin Klein in 2001 and became head of womenswear in 2003, after working with Oscar de la Renta, and then as chief womenswear designer at Gucci under Tom Ford. Zucchelli was made creative director of Calvin Klein Collection in the spring of 2004 after six seasons with the company, having formerly worked for Jil Sander.
Until a new creative director is appointed, the in-house design teams will produce and present each season as needed. There will be no men’s runway show this June, nor will there be a women’s runway show this September, though there will be presentations held for press. The company’s decision to bring all aspects of the brand under one creative head follows in the footsteps of several other houses, such as Gucci, who recently confirmed they will also be combining their men’s and women’s runway shows.
Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli Leave Calvin Klein
