Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli leave Calvin Klein

The ax has fallen. The waited departure of Francisco Costa, women’s creative director, and Italo Zucchelli, men’s creative director, was just announced by Calvin Klein.
 

Wishing to now focus on “a global creative strategy that will regroup all the Calvin Klein labels behind one sole vision”, the American brand’s CEO, Steve Schiffman, justified the departure of the two designers by the brands recent evolution, which began with the company’s reacquisition of its jeans and underwear business in 2013.
 
Tom Ford’s former assistant at Gucci, the Brazilian designer Francisco Costa entered Calvin Klein in 2001 and has been directing its women’s line since 2003. He equally won the designer of the year award by the CFDA in 2006 and 2008.

The Italian designer Italo Zucchelli, who previously worked at Jil Sander's, has been running the men’s line at Calvin Klein since 2004.
 
For months it has been speculated that Raf Simons, who left Dior last October, will be the next to enter as head of the women’s and men’s collections. The house will announce its new creative director “in due course,” says Steve Schiffman.