Calvin Klein put his name on the waistband of half the planet. He sold us all a fantasy of flawless, effortless perfection. And the whole time, the man behind it was fighting addiction, hiding a secret life, and living with the trauma of his own daughter being kidnapped for ransom.

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Here's what I keep coming back to. He built the most "perfect" brand on earth precisely because he knew, better than anyone, what it feels like to be falling apart inside. So my question isn't whether he was good or bad. It's this: do the people who sell us perfection always turn out to be the most broken ones of all? Drop your honest answer below.

What was special about Calvin Kline's clothing...was the deceptive simplicity of cut, fabric, drape, line . He understood the construction, or lack thereof,  that would create that. There was no unnecessary decoration, too often hiding a lesser talent. A woman wore his clothes, effortlessly..they didn't wear HER. And even day wear came off as elegant, classy, yet easy. .

2 years ago I was in an elevator at Saks on 5th ave and I saw an elderly man come in and then a very attractive tall man, it was Calvin and his partner - and I was just in awe but I didn’t dare say Anything to him

Calvin Klein sells effortless style. You can't go wrong wearing Calvin Klein products.

It's me again. I had to take a small pause because the stories were starting to get to me (so I've got a bit of catching up to do 😊). We'll never know the pain and suffering that Calvin Klein faced in rehab. I do know this from experience however. We spend lifetimes running away from ourselves. The French call it "la fuite en avant". I checked out the English "flight forward". Grrrr. useless .... We don't know we're in this "fuite en avant" until we hit a lifetime when we have to pay what is due. it's almost like a perfect storm, but there's no guarantee that, after being brought to your knees, a) you will face the music and b) that you will come out the other side. I suspect, and we are left tantalisingly frustrated, that Calvin Klein might have had this experience in rehab. And the clinic helped him go down into the basement of his soul and shine a light on all the detritus. Someone once told me : "You take the stones of suffering out of your shoes and use them to build your path." Many are called. Few are chosen. I am also reminded of Dances with wolves: "I was just thinking that of all the trails in this life, there are some that matter most. It is the trail of a true human being. I think you are on this trail, and it is good to see."
— Kicking Bird
This doesn't mean Calvin Klein's journey is over. Far from it.  But he looked in the mirror and didn't like what he saw and had the courage, the desire, the strength and fortitude, with help, to change. This guy went to hell and came back a true human being. His journey continues.

Unfortunately whomever bought the company trashed it!  I still have the true Klein clothing, the ones i used to go to Studio 54th with!

One of my all-time favorite tees seen while traveling said "I'm Obsessioned. Gavin Kleen". 💕

I’m happy to hear that he finally let go and live his life as who he really was! He deserved to be happy! I love his clothes I went to Fashion Design school & he was one of my idols ❤

Never imagine day come I would feel sorry for him

Clavin  Klein was my first pair of designer jeans in the 70s. Before that jeans we just for work or casual but never dressy. They fit great ❤ I was 14 and earned the money working at Hardee's..lol

Beware of perfection. It often  hides an unstable foundation. But Calvin's story could have turned much darker if his daughter didn't survive her ordeal. And we're all thankful she did. He was a survivor, I believe, despite his dichotomy. David Geffen. His name keeps popping up. He had some dealing with Michael Jackson. The entertainment world is really a small one when people and mediums, wether they be fashion and music collide. It was nice to come home and see this. I look forward to your work. Thanks for contributions.😇

The downfall of same designers !,
Self destruction , loneliness
Journey of addictions , family downfalls,  hidden  self identity etc
His professional, talent  , world famous designer successfully overcame the negatives!
A harsh lesson, but eventually got a satisfying life at the end!
❤

A magical life with a luck of magic.

Calvin Baby!

Alicia Silverstone says so

Now it is embarassing to wear Klein!

This is half truth....he was owned by the system.. 'Do as we say, and you will be successful beyond imaginationn'  try to leave, and we will punish you publicly, his daughter drugs etc.......so he returned to the system that controlled is every move and made billions on his back...