Calvin Klein spoke to a full house in the Harvard Graduate School of Design’s Piper Auditorium on Monday, November 2, discussing how form, space, light, and other design elements have shaped and informed his work as a designer and cultural icon. Klein’s presentation centered around a series of images ranging from some of his most recognizable and provocative advertisements, to photographs of several of his stores and residences. Contextualizing each for the audience, Klein placed particular attention on the design elements and details of each object, whether a pair of Calvin Klein jeans, a repurposed dining table, or a New York storefront.
“Everything that had my name on it, from the day I started in 1968 until I sold my business in 2003, I was involved from the beginning, middle, and end with every product and every photograph and every model,” said Klein. “I always wanted people to know that there is a designer behind all of these things that we were making.”
Klein’s talk was supported by the Rouse Visiting Artist Program.
Get an full inside look at Klein’s GSD talk with reviews from the Harvard Gazette and the Harvard Crimson.