Calvin Klein Spring 2012

It was no surprise that Italo Zuchelli's new collection for Calvin Klein Spring/Summer 10.11 was based on minimalism, the heart of the brand's DNA. There was something new, however, something that actually attracted me to the bareness of the brand compared to other seasons, especially the men's brand, which, truth be told, I never had much interest in. I think it was the bold futuristic weirdness that Calvin Klein has always had, but so bold, with every look communicating this value, that made it so strikingly apparent.

The show was held in a blank, white room admist rows of chairs in which celebrities, namely Joe Jonas, sat looking for things to wear in the upcoming season. The first model came out, all white in a tank top and scrub-like, pajama-like shorts that were loose fitting with a waist band; the inspiration was then apparent, American Sportswear. Continuing down the runway were tailored blazers with often a mesh quality that sometimes went into the undershirt underneath, all with these loose fitting shorts.  A couple of scrub-like shirts, in mint green, white, grey, and black were paired with shorts, and in the later part of the show an emphasis on the waist was apparent in the different colors of Jackets, all minimalist and clean. The tiled blazers were another thing I loved, showing his inventiveness in using different technology to create the clothing that men will wear in the next summer season.

Some of the things I didn't like were the pants near the end, the length covering the knee just shy of the ankle but baggy, and particularly the black petaled shirts, which I felt were too bondage-star-like. Also the circusy lapels that were on one suit in particular, the bold gray with a stark black that I felt didn't work.

It was no surprise that Zuchelli went this route in regards to sportswear, as the Summer Olympics will be here when they are finally sold; but in it, he really created a work of minimalist art that I love and have learned to appreciate, perhaps for the future seasons to come.