Fashion and art. Calvin Klein and Andy Warhol. Two US cultural titans will be joining forces for a long-term never-before-seen collaboration inspired by Raf Simons, to whom the Andy Warhol Foundation has offered unfiltered access to his work. The expected outcome is a series of cobranded products, whose first sequence was presented at the Calvin Klein 205W39NYC show in September.
If we had to guess what links Andy Warhol, contemporary art genius, demiurge of American pop art and Calvin Klein, US megabrand whose earnings totaled to eight billion in 2016, converting Americans to minimalism, it would be the label’s ability to transform trends into artwork or products. Or rather, the striking temptation to create a balance between their two dichotomies: selective consumerism by the artist and marketing sensations created by the millions of pairs of underwear sold, which have made Calvin Klein the empire it is recognized as today. With Raf Simons at the helm, the American house has just embarked upon a long-term partnership with the Andy Warhol foundation that will last until 2020. Though it has already collaborated with the Mapplethorpe Foundation for its eponymous Spring/Summer 2017 show, a partnership of such magnitude is a first in both fashion and art history. The very first pieces, printed with some of the most iconic of the artist’s portraits such as Dennis Hopper and Sandra Brant, were unveiled at Calvin Klein Spring/Summer 2018 show in New York. They allowed Raf Simons to plunge into the work of the artist: “I've come to realize that Warhol's genius goes much deeper than cheerful Campbell's Soup paintings. He captured all sides of the American experience, including sometimes its darker sides. Warhol's art tells more truths about this country than you can find almost anywhere else." The Andy Warhol Foundation will give Raf Simons unprecedented access to the artist’s archives, including some of his unseen pieces, and is undertaking the partnership as a celebration of its heritage, the foundation’s licencing director explained: "We are proud that Raf's visionary work at Calvin Klein will unabashedly embrace all facets of Warhol's work and generously contribute to the foundation's endowment." Wasting no time, Calvin Klein will include a series of co-branded products across various lines, under the creative direction of Raf Simons, who is simultaneously continuing a much bigger project as head of the house: to depict America in all its different facets.