UPDATE: Details on Calvin Klein furniture

Curator Collection coming to High Point

Gary Evans -- Furniture Today, September 30, 2008

NEW YORK — Calvin Klein Inc. said last week that it plans to launch a major furniture collection at the fall market here, and roll out a separate collection exclusive for Macy's.

Slated to hit retail early next year, the total rollout for both High Point and Macy's will include about 120 SKUs, with about 30 of them upholstery.

The High Point launch, named the Curator Collection by Calvin Klein Home, will include 65 SKUs using a high gloss walnut finish and a high gloss ebonized finish. Prices in Curator will range from $1,100 for a cocktail table to $5,000 for a walnut sleigh bed with hand-applied gold leaf.

The Macy's line will use walnut, whitewashed oak and teak respectively for three groups inspired by their ultimate use - City, Weekend and Destination. Items in the Macy's line will range from $850 for a glass end-table to $2,600 for a canopy bed.

Other materials in the total collection include parchment, smoked glass, travertine marble, burnished stainless steel, gold leaf and high gloss finishes.

Tom Murry, Calvin Klein International president and CEO, and Amy Mellen, creative director, said the overall design of the collection is modern, sculptural and conveys the typical clean look of the CK brand.

"We keep referring to it as very quiet," Mellen said.

The collection, including upholstery, is being made overseas, according to Murry. "We looked at the labor costs and costs of materials and so on," said Murry, adding, "We needed to engineer the pricing to work within the Macy's matrix. To be able to do that it required offshore manufacturing," he said.

All designs are being done by an in-house team lead by Mellen, with the manufacture, production, sales and distribution of both lines executed by Calvin Klein's licensing partners, Alexandre International and Shayne Industries. Mellen is creative director for all Calvin Klein Home divisions and said that the new line will coordinate with other Calvin Klein products such bedding, bath and accessories.

This first entry into furniture has been on the company's list for some time. "For many years we've been wanting to get into the furniture business to really round out our tome home lifestyle product," said Murry. "This is a little more complex business to get into than some of the others. But we're there now and we're going to start shipping product the first of the year."

Asked about growth, Murry said, "This business is not about huge volume for us. We deal with over $6 billion globally (for Calvin Klein International) today. This is more about rounding out that lifestyle and whatever optimal volume it achieves based on proper channels of distribution is what we're going to be satisfied with."

In High Point, the new collection will be shown on the 8th floor of the Commerce and Design Building on a floor dedicated to Calvin Klien.

Additionally, it is planned that the Curator Collection will be complemented by a line of decorative pillows designed to specifically coordinate with the line.

"I think we're going to satisfy a pretty wide audience (with the collection) but the core is going to be the typical Calvin Klein customer," said Murry. The Curator Collection will be sold in what Murry described as "fine furniture" stores nationwide.