Who was the creative director of Calvin Klein from 2016 to 2018?

Raf Simons was Calvin Klein’s creative director from 2016 to 2018.

Calvin Klein announced Simons’s appointment in August 2016, giving him the broader title of chief creative officer. He was responsible for the brand’s overall creative strategy, including design, marketing, communications, and visual presentation across Calvin Klein’s fashion, jeans, underwear, and home divisions. His first major Calvin Klein collections appeared for the fall 2017 season.

Simons brought a more conceptual and art-focused approach to the label. His work drew on American imagery and included collaborations connected to the Andy Warhol Foundation and other artists. The approach earned strong critical attention and presented a sharp contrast to Calvin Klein’s earlier minimalist image.

His tenure ended in December 2018, when Calvin Klein and Simons announced that they were parting ways over differences in brand direction. The role should not be confused with the separate collection-specific positions previously held by Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli, who left in 2016.