Calvin Klein Jeans appoints Luella Bartley

Calvin Klein Jeans has appointed British designer Luella Bartley as global head of design reporting into Raf Simons' second in command Pieter Mulier and Franck Belochi, president of Calvin Klein Jeans Europe.

Bartley had her own label for a decade until 2009 before heading up Marc by Marc Jacobs with fellow British designer Katie Hillier. After that label was rolled into the main Marc Jacobs line in 2015, she and Hillier set up their own label Hillier Bartley, which is stocked at high end multi-brand stores such as Matchesfashion.com, My-theresa.com and Selfridges.

Her role will be a crucial one at Calvin Klein, which makes a large part of its revenue from its more mainstream products such as denim and underwear and she has been appointed just as chief creative officer Simons, who joined the house along with Mulier from Dior last August, is making his mark.

Bartley indirectly replaces Kevin Carrigan who as the former global creative director of CKI was responsible for Calvin Klein Jeans. Carrigan, another Brit, stood down as Simons arrived at the company and is now senior vice president, creative director, women’s Lauren and Chaps brands at rival house Ralph Lauren.

A graduate of Central Saint Martins, Bartley is known for her quirky, street-inspired style and was named designer of the year by the British Fashion Council in 2008 and awarded an MBE in 2010. She has collaborated with big brands such as Mulberry and Target and was forced to close her label in 2009 after losing her financial backer.