Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli Out at Calvin Klein.
As many fashion lovers know, the industry has been in the midst of an upheaval, with the past year seeming like a never-ending game of musical chairs. The last year has seen Raf Simons leave Dior, Hedi Slimane leave Saint Laurent, Alber Elbaz leave Lanvin and then, on April 20th, it was confirmed that Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli were leaving Calvin Klein.
Steve Chiffman, the CEO of Calvin Klein thanked both Italo and Francisco for “their unwavering commitment to the Calvin Klein brand and their accomplishments over the past decade." He continued, "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.” Chiffman also explained that Calvin Klein is now moving towards a more unified strategy with a single creative vision for all of its brands.
Francisco Costa. Image Credit: Danny Clinch.
Zucchelli started working at Klein in 2000 following his graduation from Polimoda Fashion School in Florence and a short tenure at Jil Sander. He has been the creative director for the Calvin Klein's menswear since 2004. Costa, a Brazil native who was educated at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, came to Calvin Klein in 2003. A year later he became creative director of Calvin Klein Collection. Costa previously worked with Oscar de la Renta, who taught him "not just the craft, but life. Oscar is so full of life and has a genuine interest in what's good," says Costa. He also had experience at Gucci, working under the direction of Tom Ford.
Italo Zucchelli for V-Man. Image Credit: Thomas Lohr Photography.
In the fashion industry it is often true that creative directors have to comply with certain “codes” of the brand. Calvin Klein was already an established brand within the industry, thus the two creative directors had complete freedom for their creative expression. Zucchelli focused on sexuality and masculinity. Every season and every collection, he was able to present clothes that “transformed” a man’s body into something better. He was stronger, better looking and simply more beautiful. His work inspired Anne Hollander to write her Sex and Suits book. Zucchelli left behind the transformation of the Calvin Klein brand from being a hero of the last century to being something modern and attractive to the young generation.
Image Credit: Calvin Klein.
Costa, in turn, incorporated seduction and beauty into Calvin Klein Collection. According to Cathy Horyn, Costa “accomplished two essential things at Calvin Klein: he gave more credence to the trouser suit in women’s lives than to the giddy ruffle — a story of the 2004 Spring collections — and he brought forward the notion that freedom in dress begins with female underpinnings, as Chanel knew when she popped women out of their corsets.” He is also the one who established great presence for the brand on red-carpets. It was hard not to notice Costa’s creations — Lupita Nyong’o's pearl-encrusted gown for the Academy Awards, and that body-hugging red gown for Jennifer Lawrence that represented Costa’s passion for minimalism.
Image Credit: Calvin Klein.
Both men's visions contributed immensely to the success of the company. Costa was recognized for his work by receiving the CFDA’s Womenswear Designer of the Year Award in 2006 and 2008, and the Cooper Hewitt National Fashion Design Award in 2008. Zucchelli won the CFDA Designer of the Year Award for Menswear the same year as Costa.
Since the announcement of the pair's departures, rumors have been swirling about who will be the next creative director of Calvin Klein. Women’s Wear Daily and many other sources have lit a fire around the conversation that Raf Simons might take the reigns. The former creative director of Jil Sander has kept quiet since his depature from Dior six months ago, seemingly enjoying being out of the spotlight. Calvin Klein has previously stated that it plans to have one person in charge of both womens- and menswear collections. Simons' expertise in both areas, as well as his mastery of minimalism, make the Beligian designer a strong front-runner. With his experience, passion and previous work at iconic fashion houses, Raf Simons would certainly be a fresh, but pragmatic choice for Calvin Klein.
Raf Simons. Image Credit: Vogue.com.
