CK says goodbye to Francisco Costa, Italo Zucchelli

Relaxnews

Calvin Klein is the latest major fashion house on the lookout for a new star designer following the news that Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli are stepping down from the luxury brand.
The respective heads of the US house’s womenswear and menswear clothing lines are leaving the label as part of its new strategy to unify the two entities.
According to a statement from the label, the move is part of the company’s global evolution to build itself into a $10 billion global retail sales business. The house said: “A new brand direction will ultimately follow one creative vision across all categories of the business. An announcement will be made in due course.”
“This creative strategy marks the beginning of another significant chapter in Calvin Klein’s brand legacy since Mr. Klein’s retirement,” said Steve Shiffman, CEO of Calvin Klein. “I would like to thank Francisco and Italo for their unwavering commitment to the Calvin Klein brand and their accomplishments over the past decade. They have both contributed immensely to making Calvin Klein a global leader in the fashion industry, and they have done so with dedication, focus and creativity.”
In the absence of a head designer the brand’s in-house teams are expected to create its upcoming collections, which will be showcased as presentations rather than catwalk shows.
Brazilian designer Costa joined Calvin Klein in 2001, following stints at Oscar de la Renta and Gucci, where he worked under Tom Ford. He became creative director of the women’s collection in 2003 following founder Calvin Klein’s retirement, and has collected multiple accolades throughout his career, including winning the Council of Fashion Designers America (CFDA) award for Womenswear Designer of the Year in 2006 and 2008.