British designer Bartley will blend her trademark London cool with the US brand’s progressive ideals and minimal aesthetic
Just when you thought the new Raf Simons-led Calvin Klein couldn’t get any cooler. Two weeks after a standout debut show at New York fashion week, the house announced the hire of beloved British fashion scene stalwart Luella Bartley as head of global design for Calvin Klein Jeans, the accessibly priced and denim-led part of the brand.
Bartley, along with Katie Hillier, is half of the cult Hillier Bartley label. But both Bartley and Hillier have a formidable track record bringing their London cool to more commercial brands: while Hillier has collaborated on accessories with everyone from Marc Jacobs and Joseph to Victoria Beckham to Asprey, Bartley is credited with the Gisele bag, which was a smash hit for Mulberry, and at Marc for Marc Jacobs designed an influential motocross-themed collection.