This past week in New York, Calvin Klein Collection designer Francisco Costa served up a women’s resort collection that was classic Calvin – elegant, simple, and unfettered. One of our favorite pieces was a creamy knee-length dress sported by Jac (above left). At another high point, the gorgeous Karmen Pedaru (above right) donned a crisp and cool sleeveless dress in a brilliant white with beautiful geometric pleating, which seemed to be a gentle reworking of Costa’s architecturally-driven Spring 2009 collection. Against this kind of minimalist backdrop, a velvet evening dress – worn by Kristy Kaurova (above center) – caught the eye with its vibrant yellow and has earned a nod from the fashion media.

THE SHOW

THE SOUNDTRACK

Simply minimalist in wash of guitar riffs and beats courtesy of Toro Y Moi and Krikor – The Dead Hillbillies. On a fashion note, it’s interesting to see that the same Toro Y Moi track started off the Gudrun & Gudrun show during Copenhagen Fashion Week.

REVIEWS

• Resort Report | Calvin Klein’s Palate Cleanser – New York Times Style Magazine
• Calvin Klein Resort 2011 Collection – Style.com
• A Look at Resort 2011: Calvin Klein – Vogue.com

MORE CALVIN

See the full collection at Calvin Klein Collection Women.

CREDITS

Photography by Don Ashby

One of the supreme highlights of Francisco Costa’s women’s ready-to-wear show for Calvin Klein Collection was the appearance of Polish model Monika Jagaciak, or simply, “Jac”. She opened the show, which turned out to be one of Costa’s most minimalist and spare since he took over as women’s designer from Mr. Klein himself in 2004. In my eyes, it seemed as an evolution of ideas first presented in his fall 2007 and spring 2009 shows. (Cecilia Dean, founder of the luxe fashion magazine Visionaire had appopriately described the latter show as “soft geometry” in an interview.) While the show seemed geared towards pragmatic but ever-so-cool dressing for everyday, Jac did sport one of Costa’s three spare, elegant evening dresses in silver silk Lurex. Calvin Klein’s live webcast, unfortunately, did not capture the intricacies of the fabric’s delicate grid pattern. It is good to know that, even with technology, you still need to be there in person to truly see it… That is, until houses start broadcasting in high-definition.

In the meantime, Jac can also be seen as the face of Calvin Klein Collection’s 2010 Spring Collection campaign.

Sources:

• Style.com | Photos: Marcio Madeira &  Greg Kessler, FirstView.com

Photographed by David Sims, the new Spring 2010 Calvin Klein Collection for women campaign features Monica Jagaciak, also known as Jac. This is her second, and back-to-back, appearance for Calvin Klein Collection. Jac has already been hailed as the new face of Calvin Klein going into the new decade. [via Fashion Gone Rogue]

[Image via Fashionologie]

I’m in love with the sheer naturalness and simplicity of Francisco Costa’s 2010 collection for Calvin Klein and find that the campaign helps to translate it into a different life. Of course, wouldn’t it be nice to lounge around with moistened hair and dewey skin by some George Nakashima table looking pensive? But I guess some of us do need to go to work after all…

In retrospect, the collection and campaign, now aeshetically paired, make me think of the Calvin Klein image back in the ninetes. In particular, the wet hair and clingy fabric just takes me back to Christy Turlington in those great Eternity ads.

Of course, the black and white cinematography and waves on the wind also parallels Chris Isaak and Helena Christensen rolling around on the black sand beaches of Hawai’i Island for his song “Wicked Game”, directed by the late and great Herb Ritts.

But then again, wasn’t part of the nineties aesthetic about black-and-white artsy moodiness and minimalism after all the excesses of the eighties? After way too much bling bling, I’m happy to see a revival of a more paired down look.