Calvin Klein Moves into Furniture with Two-Pronged Approach

October 2, 2008  by in UnCategorized   

By Home Furnishings Business in Case Goods on October 2008 Calvin Klein is jumping into the furniture business with a two-pronged approach that includes a line to be sold through select Macy’s nationwide and a higher-end line that targets traditional furniture retailers.

The lines are set to show up in stores in January; company officials will be showing the upper-end line in High Point at the upcoming market.

The two collections—Calvin Klein and The curator collection by Calvin Klein Home—will feature a variety of materials, finishes and hardware. The initial offering includes furnishings for the living room, dining room, and bedroom, including sofas, chairs, dining tables, coffee and side tables, beds, mirrors, and book cases. The designs will be unique to Calvin Klein Home, and will embody the modern design aesthetic known to the brand. The launch will be supported by a national advertising campaign with placements in strategic shelter, lifestyle, and fashion publications, such as Elle Décor, Metropolitan Home, O at Home, Vanity Fair, InStyle, Wallpaper, Domino, and New York Times Magazine, among others.

“Strategically, the addition of furniture is very significant for us as it further extends the Calvin Klein Home lifestyle product offering,” said Tom Murry, president & chief executive officer of Calvin Klein. “I believe our team has done a great job creating collections that are true to the Calvin Klein brand DNA while at the same time incorporating elements that exude warmth and comfort to appeal to a wide consumer base.”

The designs were created by an in-house team led by Calvin Klein Home’s Creative Director, Amy Mellen. The manufacture, production, sales, and distribution of both lines will be executed by Calvin Klein’s licensing partners, Alexandre International and Shayne Inds.

Both lines take inspiration from the Calvin Klein apparel and accessory lines, as evidenced in the textures, materials, and hardware. Surfaces are crafted of in travertine, parchment, marble, smoked glass, brushed stainless steel, and gold leaf, in unique combinations of matte and high gloss finishes.

The Calvin Klein furniture line will be available exclusively at select Macy’s nationwide beginning in January. This line is merchandised into three key groups–City, Weekend, and Destination. Each group is delineated by a single wood finish: walnut, whitewash, and teak, respectively. Items in the Calvin Klein furniture line at Macy’s will range in price from $850 for a glass end-table to $2,600 for a canopy bed.

The curator collection by Calvin Klein Home is a more detailed offering consisting of approximately 65 SKUs constructed with expert workmanship. Sculptural and sophisticated, the curator collection is highly polished, with hand-rubbed, dark walnut-finished and ebonized-finished pieces, accented with leather details and bronze hardware. Some of the multi-functional pieces include a tall chest of drawers with valet doors, a parchment-front dresser, and an elegant, hand-rubbed walnut day bed with all-natural linen upholstered cushion and pillows. The curator collection is planned to be available at fine furniture retailers nationwide and range from $1,100 for a cocktail table to $5,000 for a walnut sleigh bed with hand-applied gold leaf. The company will show the collection, by invitation only, in HIgh Point on a dedicated floor in the C&D building.

“We believe that Calvin Klein furniture will bring a fresh and modern approach to the current marketplace and serve to enhance the overall Calvin Klein Home presentation at retail,” said A.J. Menozzi, chief executive officer, Calvin Klein Home Furniture and The Next Market. ”Speaking on behalf both licensing partners, we are privileged to work with Calvin Klein, Inc., on the development of these exciting new product lines and look forward to growing this business.”