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Calvin Klein has revealed Raf Simons is stepping down from his role as chief creative officer of the brand, less than two years after assuming the position.
PVH Corp, the clothing company that owns brands including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Geoffrey Beene, made the announcement on Friday 21 December.
Stating that Simons and Calvin Klein have “amicably decided to part ways”, the company explained the American retailer has made the decision to move in a direction that “differs from Simons’ creative vision”.
The Belgian fashion designer’s first collection for Calvin Klein debuted at New York Fashion Week in February 2017.
Featuring a variety of professional, brightly-coloured, monochrome ensembles, the collection was perhaps best summarised by fashion critic Cathy Horyn. “The most anticipated fashion show in decades turned out to be brilliant,” she wrote for New York Magazine ‘s The Cut
When Simons was first appointed as chief creative officer, Calvin Klein chief executive Steve Shiffman expressed his excitement over the positive influence Simons’ innovative outlook would have on the brand’s reputability within the fashion industry.
“The arrival of Raf Simons as chief creative officer signifies a momentous new chapter for Calvin Klein,” he said in a statement .
“Not since Mr Klein himself was at the company has it been led by one creative visionary, and I am confident that this decision will drive the Calvin Klein brand and have a significant impact on its future.”
Simons’ abrupt departure from Calvin Klein comes eight months before his contract was due to expire, Vogue
Show all 45 1 /45New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Looking like a sea creature that's just emerged from a year down under, this billowing emerald ensemble takes every biscuit in the tin and leaves a trail of sparkling crumbs behind. It might be New York City, and the road might not be made from yellow brick, but this street styler is almost certainly on her way to Oz.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style The sass of this look is palpable. From the clownish print to its sunshine yellow hue, this is a jumpsuit you won't forget in a hurry. While the red lippy is a commendable and aesthetically-pleasing addition, it's the coquettish gaze over those super-slim sunglasses that is the cherry on top here.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Somebody sent this street styler the weather forecast. New York Fashion Week might've started as a sunny affair, but it was only a matter of time until the heavens opened. This co-ord would've put you in good stead for staying dry, thanks to its slippery vinyl coating.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Don't let the earrings throw you. If tinsel is too synonymous with yuletide gatherings for you to make a fair judgement, look to this street styler's inimitable coordination skills. Red repetition aside, the fan she holds is almost identical to the one decorating her satin coat: now that is some strategic sartorial prowess.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style More is more when it comes to python, one of the most dynamic prints set to dominate in the season ahead. Paired here with a baker boy hat and a tangerine lip, there's no stopping this savvy street styler.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style It's textures galore in this eye-catching ensemble, which just about gets away with its cacophonous clash of suede and satin thanks to its earthy tones and this street styler's bare-faced complexion.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style The colour co-ordination may be subtle, but it's fundamental to the success of this look's juxtaposing patterns. The navy of the trousers is matched by the jacket's stripes and almost every accessory is united by a bright shade of candy red. Meanwhile, the shoes are in cahoots with the jacket with their corresponding fawny hues.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style The corduroy, the shirt dress and the Burberry bucket hat - it could be the name of a girlband, one that would certainly suit this stylish trio.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style It's the silky feline skirt you've seen splattered across Instagram, the one that grazes the calf in just the right place and has the perfect ratio of spot-to-base in terms of its leopard print. Réalisation Par knew what they were doing when they designed this now-iconic garment, which is styled here with an oversized white shirt, complete with striking scarlet flames.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Who said white crochet was reserved for sun-kissed eight-year-olds and kitsch beachside stalls? Proving that the breezy fabric can work wonders on the streets of Manhattan, this street styler adds a cosmopolitan flair via emerald satin and clunky trainers.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style When the tailoring is this good, all you need is a simple pair of white kitten-heeled boots and dark boxy sunglasses to achieve a smart and polished look.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Always match your polka dots to your sunglasses, as the old adage goes. The thigh-high slit and flowing silhouette of the wrap dress is cleverly offset by the rigid structure of the thick-strap shoulder bag, resulting in the ultimate flirty-meets-grungy ensemble.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Wallpaper florals rear their aesthetically-pleasing heads time and time again, and this look is foolproof that they needn't be synonymous with archaisms. In this case, the nostalgia of the print is modernised by lace-up cream boots and a slim leather belt.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Boxy cropped jackets might've first entered the sartorial fray in the mid-90s, but its zip-heavy, oversized counterpart is having a renaissance that sets it aside from the archetypal biker chick garb. Paired here with a dusty pink midi-dress, it adds an unexpected grunge to an otherwise girlish foundation.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style More is more when it comes to tartan, as this street styler proves. The mustard jacket is enough of a statement in isolation, but when paired with the matching trousers and monochromatic bustier-style top, it's a serious vibe.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style If your outfit doesn't complement your green juice, you're doing fashion week wrong. Dressed head-to-toe in shades of blue, the splash of colour provided by said juice is more than just a happy coincidence. As for the look on the right, it's optical illusion-meets-retro glamour. A vivid beetroot juice would not have gone amiss here.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style When you have a double-breasted jacket that's long enough to cover your valuables, who needs trousers, really? It helps if you have the lithe limbs of a Grecian goddess, but who's to say the rest of us can't be equally as minimalistic? Maybe less really is more.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Lashings of leopard offset by crocodile, this street styler knows a thing or two about animal prints, which, when combined, can only be worn alongside a simple staple, such as this plain white tee.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Say what you will about the underwear as outerwear trend, this 70s aesthetic - cemented by those dangling spectacles - wouldn't be complete without the black lace bodysuit. The statement gold earrings also work a nostalgic treat.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Blind for love but sighted for style. There may not be a whole lot of colour wheel action, but a single slick of scarlet lipstick makes all the difference, giving this all-black ensemble the fervour it would've otherwise craved.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Teenagers have crop tops and Reeboks, grown-ups have midriff-baring slits and stilettos. The slicked-back platinum bob is the cherry on top of this cosmopolitan creation.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Read all about it - then tear it to shreds and turn it into a shirt dress. Is it a political statement against fake news? Is it a tribute to Carrie Bradshaw's infamous newspaper dress from Sex and the City? Or is it just another set of wavey garms? The jury is out.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style The graphic T-shirt conjures up a Hockney painting while the ornamental trousers add an elevated sense of artistry to this eye-catching ensemble. However, it's the furry Gucci loafers that are the true shining stars of this intricately-woven sartorial tapestry.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style If you're going to carry a bright red bucket bag in one hand, you might as well carry a luminous green bottle of water in the other. Plus, if you're heading out with your equally stylish pal, you are practically obliged to match your handbag to her shoes. It's basic economics.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style If sugar had a sartorial spirit animal, this would be it. The candy floss-coloured mini dress is saccharine in style while white knee-high boots give the look a distinct confectionary charm.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Gingham takes a starring role in this look, which cleverly combines an all-white base with colourful drapes and a graphic Chanel bag for an added splash of vibrancy.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Don't let the graphic tee and pinstripe trousers distract you from admiring the unlikely hero of this delightfully gaudy ensemble: brown furry slippers. Evidently, comfort is key, even at New York Fashion Week.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style And it was all... feathers. If you're going to wear an outfit that is predominantly plumage, this street styler proves that it's best to keep things simple and devoid from fuss elsewhere, which is achieved here via white shoes and a simple collared shirt.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style There's something very space age-meets-Scooby Doo about this look. Maybe it's the combination of a fringed bob haircut with brazen colour-blocking that strikes up memories of Velma Dinkley, the iconic character from the popular cartoon. The crimson satchel and slick of matching lippy complements the emerald hue of this stylish attendee's mini dress with aplomb.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Chevrons take centre stage in this colourful ensemble, which exudes a 70s kind of charm, mostly thanks to the flared style of the candyfloss pink trousers and super-slim sunglasses.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style A perfect pairing in every sense. From the pulled-up sports socks to the corresponding denim shorts, this couple knows a thing or two about dressing in tandem.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Logomania isn't going away anytime soon, as this artful monochromatic snap proves. Gucci meets Chanel in a delicious harmony of opposites - these two should stick together.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Is he going to a fashion show or a True Romance tribute party? The destination is unclear, but whichever it may be, there's no doubt that this idiosyncratic floral shirt-and-baggy jeans combo would be warmly welcomed in either setting.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Absolutely fabulous in every sense of the phrase, this fashion week attendee has got sophisticated sass down to a tee. The oversized sunglasses carry an appealing nostalgia, while the metallic ankle boots and dogtooth print bring the ensemble back to the modern day with sublime verve.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Proving that sometimes a smartphone is the ultimate handheld accessory, this look is elevated by the creative addition of a DSLR camera casually slung over one shoulder.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Jumpsuits are having a moment - and when combined with a brightly-coloured handbag, it's a look that would not be amiss on the pages of a fashion magazine.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Tailoring isn't going anywhere this season. Neither are dramatic drop earrings, for that matter, or kitten heels. All of this is good news for those with a penchant for souped-up workwear with a casual underbelly.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Oversized blazers should always be worn with round spectacles, evidently. Also, if you're struggling to inject some colour into your wardrobe, you can always dab it with splashes of paint yourself, as this street styler might well have done, or not, maybe the trick is to keep us guessing.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Why tie your jumper round your waist when you can create a dynamic silhouette by opting for a diagonal technique that is moree commonly seen on male student ravers? Pair with an arty headscarf for extra style points.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Trouble and stripes is very much the vibe of this fashion week attendee, thanks to his geometric shirt and the plethora of intricate tattoos it reveals.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style If in doubt, suit it out and take a Louis Vuitton bucket bag along for good measure.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Yellow sunglasses might've had their heyday a few seasons ago, but the look is very much still a popular one among editors and fashion influencers. This particular street styler has cleverly matched her tinted shades with the heels of her shoes - a subtle but praiseworthy detail.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Two outfits, both alike in dignity but different in mood. Colour clashing is the prevailing theme in one, while dramatic drapes and luminous lime-green nails characterise the other.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Why bother wearing multiple brands when you can make an emphatic statement by sporting the logos of just one in every component of your outfit? In case you missed it, this look is entirely Fendi.
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New York Fashion Week 2018: Best street style Slip dresses are no longer a slave to the bedroom and 90s-themed parties. Tie a jumper round your waist to give it some shape and throw on a pair of Birkenstock-style sandals to offset the girlish glamour of it all.
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PVH Corp chief executive and chairman Emanuel Chirico recently commented on Calvin Klein’s faltering commercial performance, saying that while the brand continues to “command strong brand health and desire in all markets”, its third quarter this year has “experienced softness”.
Before joining Calvin Klein, Simons was creative director of womenswear for Christian Dior .
In October 2015 he resigned from the position after three and a half years, saying that his choice came from a wish to “focus on other interests in my life, including my own brand, and passions that drive me outside my work,” according to a statement issued to Women’s Wear Daily
The designer launched his eponymous label in 1995 after becoming a self-trained menswear designer.
Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Further to the news that Simons is leaving Calvin Klein, PVH Corp revealed the fashion house will not be present at New York Fashion Week in February 2019.
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