FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CALVIN KLEIN, INC. TO CELEBRATE COMPANY‟S MILESTONE 40th ANNIVERSARY AND FUTURE ON THE HIGH LINE IN NEW YORK CITY
Event in September to Include Visit to Site of Future NYC Park; Unique Collaborations with Architect John Pawson and Artist James Turrell to be Unveiled
Calvin Klein, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation [NYSE: PVH], today
announced their plans to celebrate the company‟s first four decades and the future of the company , with a oneof-a-kind event, which includes a rare visit to the most eagerly anticipated public space to open in New York City in decades. The official anniversary event will be held in New York on Sunday, September 7 th alongside the High Line – the elevated rail structure soon to become a public park – in the West 30s along Tenth Avenue, blocks from the company‟s longtime headquarters. In gratitude for a visionary gift to fund the High Line‟s future operations, guests at this event will be invited by Friends of the High Line to tour a section of the High Line itself. These guests will be among the first to experience the expanse of and the views from the High Line – New York City‟s most exciting future public promenade. The High Line is the 1.5 mile, former elevated railway that extends for 22 blocks along the West Side of Manhattan, from West 34th Street to Gansevoort Street, in the Meatpacking District. Through the impressive efforts of the City of New York, and the non-profit organization, Friends of the High Line, this space will be transformed into a one-of-a-kind, 6.7 acre, grand, public promenade that can be freely enjoyed by all residents and visitors in New York City. The first section of the High Line is projected to open by the end of 2008. For the event, Calvin Klein, Inc. has engaged two of the most highly respected artists of our time to collaborate on this project. The event will be held within a custom, multilevel structure designed by renowned architect John Pawson, one of the world‟s foremost proponents of minimalist architecture and design. Pawson, who is also responsible for the concept design of Calvin Klein Collection‟s New York City flagship store on Madison Avenue, has a long-standing relationship with the company and a shared design vision and aesthetic. Commenting on this collaboration and Mr. Pawson‟s history with the company, he stated, “We're both after the same result. For nearly a decade and a half it's been extraordinary working as a team to achieve it.” Additionally, and as a centerpiece to this unique event, acclaimed artist James Turrell -- referred to as a „sculptor of light‟ -- has been commissioned to create one of his brilliant, signature Space Division light installations within Pawson‟s structure. Turrell, who is presently working on his most ambitious project to date – the completion of the Roden Crater earthwork within a dormant volcano in the Painted Desert of northern Arizona – is also working on a retrospective of his work to be held at the Guggenheim Museum in 2011. Said Turrell on the collaboration, “I am very pleased to celebrate Calvin Klein‟s amazing contribution to fashion.” Continued …
2 - 2 - 2 Calvin Klein, Inc. / 40th Anniversary Event, NYC Said Tom Murry, President and Chief Operating Officer, Calvin Klein, Inc., “It was very important to us that this celebration honor the past while looking to the future of the brand, and integrate several key elements -- and we feel that we have achieved what we set out to do. With the support of our many partner companies and licensees, this event will be the most memorable event we have held in our history. Most importantly, we hope that our monetary donation, as well as the awareness we are bringing to the High Line, will have a significant impact on the future of New York City and the development of the most important addition to this city‟s public park system in decades.” Said Malcolm Carfrae, Senior Vice President, Global Communications, Calvin Klein, Inc. “As a brand, Calvin Klein has always looked to the future -- retrospective nostalgia is not who we are. When conceiving this event, it was important for us to contribute to the future of New York City, which is and always has been our base, and send a message about our strong brand aesthetic. The High Line is the most important new public space in Manhattan – and a visionary concept for a park of the future – which is why it felt so right for us partner with them. Collaborating with John Pawson on a provisional structure, which will act as a stunning bridge for access on to the High Line, was a natural ask for us. John designed our Madison Avenue flagship store and his overall aesthetic epitomizes the Calvin Klein design ethos. Having James Turrell create an installation within the structure speaks to the infinite qualities of light and space – our key message for this event.” “Philanthropic donations from companies such as Calvin Klein, Inc. help to ensure the long term maintenance and care of the High Line so that it can be enjoyed by New Yorkers for generations to come,” said Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “I applaud Calvin Klein, Inc. for bringing attention to the High Line project and for recognizing the potential it has to transform an industrial relic into a beautiful garden in the sky for residents and visitors alike. The private donations raised by Friends of the High Line are a crucial component of this public-private partnership.” “Friends of the High Line is honored to be the recipient of such a sizable financial commitment from Calvin Klein, Inc. on the occasion of the anniversary of its founding in New York City,” said Joshua David, Co-founder, Friends of the High Line. “Calvin Klein has been a neighbor of the High Line since its inception, and the company has supported our efforts to build a park on the High Line since our earliest days. This important gift will be used in part to establish an endowment for the maintenance and operations of the park. Perhaps as important as the gift, the Calvin Klein event helps us raise awareness about the High Line and the need for people and organizations to support it at a critical moment.” “We are pleased to be affiliated with Calvin Klein and the tremendous creative team they have assembled for this unprecedented event,” said Robert Hammond, Co-founder, Friends of the High Line. “Calvin Klein, Inc. has recognized the High Line's maintenance and operations needs and has stepped forward to help, and their substantial commitment will inspire others to support a one-of-a-kind park in the city we call home. The High Line needs private support to prepare for the opening of the first section of the park later this year and to become a conservancy that will partner with the Parks Department to maintain and operate the High Line for generations to come, to ensure the health and vibrancy of this soon-to-be iconic park.”
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3 - 3 - 3 Calvin Klein, Inc. / 40th Anniversary Event, NYC
Additionally, it is planned that immediately following the event, all viable building materials will be donated to multiple non-profit organizations that can repurpose them for the benefit of individuals and other non-profit organizations. Calvin Klein, Inc. is one of the leading fashion design and marketing studios in the world. It designs and markets women‟s and men‟s designer collection apparel and a range of other products that are manufactured and marketed through an extensive network of licensing agreements and other arrangements worldwide. Brands/lifestyles include Calvin Klein Collection, ck Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein, and Calvin Klein Jeans. Product lines under the various Calvin Klein brands include apparel, accessories, shoes, underwear, sleepwear, hosiery, socks, swimwear, eyewear, watches, jewelry, coats, fragrances, and cosmetics, as well as products for the home. Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation is one of the world's largest apparel companies. It owns and markets the Calvin Klein brand worldwide. It is the world's largest shirt and neckwear company and markets a variety of goods under its own brands, Van Heusen, Calvin Klein, IZOD, ARROW, Bass and G.H. Bass & Co., and its licensed brands, including Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, unlisted, A Kenneth Cole Production, BCBG Max Azria, BCBG Attitude, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Sean John, Chaps, Donald J. Trump Signature Collection, JOE Joseph Abboud, Tommy Hilfiger, Perry Ellis Portfolio, DKNY and, beginning in Fall 2008, Timberland.