JUST ME IN MY CALVIN KLEIN JEANS

words by MAREK BARTEK

Calvin Klein turned a simple pair of jeans into a cultural statement. Its campaigns never really sold denim alone. Whether fronted by Brooke Shields in the 1980s, Kate Moss in the 1990s or countless faces since, the formula has always been: strip everything back, and let the attitude that comes with wearing denim do the talking.

all look CALIN KLEIN JEANS

Perhaps that's why Calvin Klein continues to feel relevant even as fashion moves at an exhaustingly accelerating pace. Trends may dictate silhouettes, but the appeal of well-cut denim remains surprisingly time-proof. Wide leg or straight leg, dark indigo or washed blue, a denim jacket thrown over bare skin or an oversized white shirt. The styling changes, yet the foundation stays the same.

Rather than prescribing a particular way of wearing it, the brand has always left room for interpretation. Denim is the starting point. It can feel effortless or thought-through, polished or undone, depending entirely on the person wearing it. The Calvin Klein woman is someone entirely comfortable in her own skin — a quality Calvin Klein has returned to time and time again.

This has become a starting point for the styling behind this editorial. Instead of building exaggerated characters, each look begins with familiar wardrobe staples and allows small adjustments in styling to shift the mood. A Canadian tuxedo of matching 90s denim jacket and straight cotton linen jeans worn on bare skin feels like a confident choice, but it doesn’t aim to look provocative. On the softer side of things, the low-rise twisted baggy jeans take on an effortless, more sensual quality when paired with leather slingback mules and an embroidered CK logo rib tank top, allowing the straps of a satin triangle bra to become part of the look instead of something to hide.

Low-rise baggy jeans, paired with an oversized monologo poplin button-down and slingback stiletto pumps, bring out a distinctly Carolyn Bessette-y elegance in the wardrobe. One trick for the evening is to layer a sculpt denim trucker button-down shirt over the look with a bit of nonchalance, instantly pushing the silhouette in a more androgynous direction. Even a simple thing like a laptop tote bag with a buckle, held close to the body — though maybe not for everyday dressing — is enough to transform denim into something unexpectedly editorial, which only further proves what great denim is capable of.

It adapts instead, absorbing the personality of whoever wears it. It belongs just as naturally on concrete as it does in tall grass, dressed up with heels or stripped back to almost nothing at all. Everything else is simply individual expression.

TEAM CREDITS:

talent SARAH WATTIMENA at Skin Models
photography DANIEL SARS
fashion editor MAREK BARTEK
hair and makeup ZEP LOHMAN
production TIMOTHY HOENSON
bts SAMO ŠAJN
location TUNGSTEN STUDIO