Calvin Klein was born in 1942 in Bronx, New York, to European immigrants.  He was described by childhood friends as the best dressed kid on the block.  Calvin knew by the age of five that he wanted to be a clothing designer.  It was obvious at a young age that Calvin had an undying love for the arts.  He attended high school at Manhattan High School for the Arts, in New York, graduating in 1962.  After graduation, Calvin went to work at the Dan Millstein House of Design.  One weekend while sacking groceries at his father's grocery store for extra money, Calvin picked up a Family Circle magazine and saw a woman's coat he had designed.

It was then that Calvin decided to go out on his own and design.  In 1968, with his best friend Barry Schwartz and $10,000, Calvin started his own company.  His first line consisted of only three dresses and six coats.  A $50,000 order from Bonwitt Teller was Calvin's foot in the door.  This order was just the beginning of the Calvin Klein Empire.  Within ten years, Calvin Klein and Barry Schwartz had turned their $10,000 into $100 million.  Calvin went on to pioneer the designer jeans industry, and in 1995 he launched the first Calvin Klein Collection in Europe.  Today, Calvin Klein has shocked Madison Avenue with his controversial marketing campaigns, but most of all, he has followed his fashion dreams.

Calvin Klein, Inc. contacted institutions across the nation for interest in acquiring examples of his collections.  A grant was prepared and submitted by the Department of Apparel, Textiles and Interior Design to bring his work to Kansas State University.  Calvin Klein, Inc. reviewed the materials, considered recommendations from the Costume Society, and determined where the leading marketing and design programs are.

The KSU Historic Costume and Textile Museum was given 38 garments from Calvin Klein's archives.  The Calvin Klein, Inc. donation dates back to the mid 1980's up through Fall, 1996. The donation is valued at over $20,000.  The fabrics are mostly silk, linen, wool, cashmere, and paper. 

Kansas State University is among a select number of institutions receiving donations.  Other recipients include the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Kyoto Museum in Japan, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum, and Colorado State University.  The donation of garments from Calvin Klein's archives has a number of uses and is a valuable resource for Kansas State University and the Historic Costume Collection.

View the garments by clicking here.