Which designer brand introduced designer jeans in 1978 under Calvin Klein?

Calvin Klein introduced designer jeans under the Calvin Klein brand in 1978.

The launch helped move jeans from primarily practical or casual clothing into the designer fashion market. Calvin Klein’s denim was positioned as a branded fashion product, supported by highly visible advertising and a strong connection between the designer’s name and the garment.

This development was significant because premium and designer jeans later became a major part of the fashion business. The company’s campaigns helped establish the idea that denim could communicate status, style, and sexuality as well as durability.

The date is often confused with later controversies involving Calvin Klein advertising, especially the campaign featuring Brooke Shields in 1980. The jeans launch came earlier, in 1978, and helped create the market in which those later campaigns became influential.