THE Calvin Klein 205W39NYC SS19 show began with a splash at New York Fashion Week. Audience members took their seats to images of crashing waves projected across the walls and catwalk, and the marine aesthetic continued as models walked onto the ocean back-dropped catwalk to John Williams’ iconic Jaws track.
Models wore PVC suits, rolled down wetsuits, cable-knit jumpers and red fisherman beanies, carrying goggles and bags with handles reminiscent of boat chains, while their hair dripped wetly onto their lapels.
The Jaws reference was overtly present. Carefully ripped skirts and tattered fringes called up images of shark attacks, with some T shirts even featuring the 1975 Jaws movie poster with the Calvin Klein logo emblazoned over the top.
Speaking of his aquatic inspirations, Creative Director Raf Simons said, “At the beach there’s this incredible idea of beauty, but also a tension between land and ocean, a feeling of two worlds meeting, maybe colliding.”
This sense of two worlds colliding was also crucial in the other motif which made its way into the SS19 collection. Simons explained that he had been inspired by Mike Nichols 1967 film The Graduate to “explore taboos and temptations, shifts in culture and community”. In looking to provide a new collection that would appeal to a younger generation while continuing to have relevance for an established clientele, Simons was intrigued to explore the way that different generations experience conflict in their relationships with each other.
This inspiration resulted in sartorial references to the academic as models walked down the runway wearing graduation caps and gowns, in a style reminiscent of Vaquera’s school-inspired show earlier that day.
Simons’ acknowledgement of the importance of classic films and Hollywood was also noticeable in the guestlist, with front row audience members including Jeff Goldblum and Millie Bobby Brown. Simons explained, “Movies are so important to me. When you feel like you’re really in the situation portrayed on screen there’s a real magic.”
by Hannah Valentine