BERLIN — The World of Calvin Klein is coming here in a big way on July 7.
Calvin Klein Inc. is planning its largest multibrand presentation in Europe to date — and its first in Germany — during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin and the Bread & Butter trade fair. The company is taking over the former premises of the German mint, where Berlin-based architect Jüergen Mayer will install his graphically organic signature structures to offset the various Calvin Klein collections on show.
Calvin Klein already has its foot in Germany’s key department and specialty store chains, including KaDeWe, Peek & Cloppenburg and Breuninger, and operates freestanding Calvin Klein Underwear stores in Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt, one Calvin Klein store in Düsseldorf and a Calvin Klein Jeans store in Hamburg.
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Regarding July’s Berlin push, Calvin Klein president and chief executive officer Tom Murry said, “As the number-one economy in Europe, Germany is a very important market for us. We believe that a large-scale event of this type will be instrumental in raising the awareness and image of the Calvin Klein brand and help provide a platform for commercial growth.”
“We’ve done several lifestyle events around the world, which show the breadth of the different collections. The last was in Shanghai on April 16,” said Malcolm Carfrae, executive vice president of global communications. “They work well for us, as we have a lot of business licenses and this allows us to bring them all together.”
He added “everyone agreed to come on board because Germany is a very important market. And a lot of important press and retailers will be in town for fashion week and Bread & Butter,” where Calvin Klein will also be exhibiting.
On July 7, 700 invited guests will get the first European view of the women’s resort 2011 Calvin Klein collection shown in New York last week, as well as the fresh-off-the-Milan runway men’s Calvin Klein Collection for spring 2011. The Berlin event will also showcase the first international press showing of the spring ck Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Jeans and Calvin Klein Underwear collections, as well as a European preview of the new fragrance, Calvin Klein Beauty.
The evening will be hosted by Calvin Klein’s creative directors Francisco Costa (women’s Calvin Klein Collection), Italo Zucchelli (men’s Calvin Klein Collection) and Kevin Carrigan (ck Calvin Klein and Calvin Klein Jeans), as well as Murry. To further sharpen the brand’s profile, three of its most important advertising faces will also be on hand: Diane Kruger (Calvin Klein Beauty), Lara Stone (Calvin Klein Collection, ck Calvin Klein and Calvin Klein Jeans fall 2010), and Kellan Lutz (Calvin Klein X Underwear).
The mint experience will combine models (50 from around the globe), installations and product presentations in the Mayer-designed environment. Known for “his modern design approach at the intersection of architecture, communication and new technology, [Mayer] has done everything from urban planning to lighting and product design, and his work has been shown at MoMA,” the company said.
After Berlin, Calvin Klein’s promotional activities will take the brand to Vienna on July 17 for the Life Ball, where the label will join Kenneth Cole and Diane von Furstenberg in a “united” fashion show to support amfAR AIDS research and prevention programs.