The House of Klein: Fashion, Controversy, and a Business Obsession [Hardcover]

Lisa Marsh (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471455636 | ISBN-13: 978-0471455639 | Publication Date: August 18, 2003 | Edition: 1

A fashion world insider and journalist reveals the secret world of Calvin Klein
The House of Klein for the first time tells the inside story of the rise of a fashion legend and the mammoth empire he built. Calvin Klein is the world's most well-known (and successful) fashion designer and has created one of the most recognizable brands in existence, but the tale of his ascendancy to the top of the fashion industry has never been fully told. The House of Klein is the warts-and-all expos? of a boy from the Bronx who made his name synonymous with high fashion by making his brand synonymous with sex. This book offers an informed, insider's account of the defining moments of a fashion legend's life, a life circumscribed by personal and professional struggle. Fashion writer Lisa Marsh pulls no punches in presenting the true story of this mammoth of the clothing industry, complete with corporate battles, lawsuits, petty personal vendettas and backroom dealings. Marsh reveals the underbelly of the glittering world of high fashion-a world characterized not so much by beautiful people and wild parties, as it is by money and power, above all else. The House of Klein brings to life this compelling figure through the author's own research and interviews with the man himself, as well as with other figures in the industry-such as Isaac Mizrahi-who finally come clean about the man behind the brand.
Lisa Marsh (New York, NY) focused on the bottom line instead of the hemline while working at the New York Post covering the fashion and retail beat. A veteran of the fashion industry, she began her career in journalism writing financial news stories for the fashion industry bible Women's Wear Daily.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Throughout American fashion designer Calvin Klein's 35-year career, he has been "dogged by rumors about his sexuality, illnesses, illicit drug use and shady business dealings," writes New York Post fashion reporter Marsh, who presumably had a front-row seat. Nevertheless, this unauthorized book, which the author refers to as a "business biography," offers little inside information about any of these issues as it tracks Klein and his partner Barry Schwartz's success in creating and transforming Calvin Klein Inc. from a manufacturing company to a design, licensing and marketing firm, which in its last years was averaging earnings of about $3 billion annually. (The company was sold to Phillips-Van Heusen in early 2003.) Marsh presents her material about the company's evolution in chronological order, exploring how it either tapped into or redirected American fashion trends over the past 30 years-including, of course, the placement of logos on everything from T-shirts to underwear. But she explains little about the man behind the initials-and even less about the people he interacted with. All the major players, in fact, are described in tabloid terms. Klein and Schwartz, for example, are repeatedly described as either the "scrappy" or "street-savvy" "duo from the Bronx." Rapper Marky Mark, who was featured in Klein's print advertisements for underwear and jeans, is "the boyish man." And Klein foe Linda Wachner, former CEO of the Warnaco Group Inc. (which licensed Calvin Klein underwear) is described as "the ball-busting blonde." Business readers looking for a quick history of the American fashion scene since 1970 may find this book appealing. However, general readers looking for lifestyles of the rich and famous will be disappointed.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Throughout American fashion designer Calvin Klein's 35-year career, he has been "dogged by rumors about his sexuality, illnesses, illicit drug use and shady business dealings," writes New York Post fashion reporter Marsh, who presumably had a front-row seat. Nevertheless, this unauthorized book, which the author refers to as a "business biography," offers little inside information about any of these issues as it tracks Klein and his partner Barry Schwartz's success in creating and transforming Calvin Klein Inc. from a manufacturing company to a design, licensing and marketing firm, which in its last years was averaging earnings of about $3 billion annually. (The Company was sold to Phillips-Van Heusen in early 2003.) Marsh presents her material about the company's evolution in chronological order, exploring how it either tapped into or redirected American fashion trends over the past 30 years-including, of course, the placement of logos on everything from T-shirts to underwear. But she explains little about the man behind the initials - and even less about the people he interacted with. All the major players, in fact, are desc ribed in tabloid terms. Klein and Schwartz, for example, are repeatedly described as either the "scrappy" or "street-savvy" "duo from the Bronx." Rapper Marky Mark, who was featured in Klein's print advertisements for underwear and jeans, is "the boyish man." And Klein foe Linda Wachner, former CEO of the Warnaco Group Inc. (which licensed Calvin Klein underwear) is described as "the ball-busting blonds." Business readers looking for a quick history of the American fashion scene since 1970 may find this book appealing. However, general readers looking for lifestyles of the rich and famous will be disappointed. (Aug.) (Publishers Weekly, July 21, 2003)

"...your going to love the House of Klein..." (Harpers & Queen, September 2003)

"...it captures beautifully the long hours of hard work and the joy of success..." (Management Today, September 2003)

"...this book offers an informed, insider's account of the defining moments of a fashion legends life..." (Luton News, 10 September 2003)

[the book] "reveals fashion's bottom line". (USA Today, September 29, 2003)

"...this investigation of the controversial New York designer focuses on the business dealings..." (Hot Stars, 11 October 2003)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (August 18, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471455636
• ISBN-13: 978-0471455639
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.9 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #266,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Marsh is a fashion industry veteran. She has worked on staff at Women's Wear Daily, DNR and The New York Post, and currently is a freelance journalist. Her work has appeared in such publications as People, Elle, Conde Nast Portfolio.com, City, The Robb Report, Town & Country and MSN.com. She is the author of The House of Klein: Fashion, Controversy and a Business Obsession (Wiley 2003), is the co-author of Marvin Traub: Like No Other Career (Assouline 2008) and is the editor of The American Fashion Cookbook (Assouline 2009). She lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Page Turner!, September 4, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The House of Klein: Fashion, Controversy, and a Business Obsession (Hardcover)

As an avid reader of any and all fashion books, I found this first release from Lisa Marsh (who is in fact a well known business writer formally of the New York Post) not only interesting from a fashionistas perspective but very enlightening from the business perspective. This tells the REAL story of how the mammoth House of Klein began, from its humble roots to its now infamous advertisements and worldwide fame. Most people only know about the label that is on the back of their skirt or jacket, but Marsh lets you know how it really got there- what really happens behind those beatiful oak wood doors marked 'Calvin Klein'. I recommend it for all!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good intro to the fashion industry, July 15, 2005

By 

Newton Ooi (Phoenix, Arizona United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The House of Klein: Fashion, Controversy, and a Business Obsession (Hardcover)

This book describes the life and career of Calvin Klein, one of the more influential fashion designers in the last 30 years. The book is laid out in chronological order, beginning with Klein's childhood, education, early career, and his recent status as a fashion heavyweight and pop icon.

The book focuses more on his career, and how the fashion industry as a whole has affected and was affected by him. For those looking for gossip about Klein or his associates, this book will not provide it. What it does provide is an inside glimpse of how the fashion industry works. Klein is unique in that he has been involved in just about every aspect of the Western fashion industry some time or another in his life; whether it be making designs, creating supply chains, maintaining an actual clothing store, running a fashion company, selecting models, putting together ad campaigns, dealing with media, etc.. As such, this book covers all these different aspects and shows the failures and successes of one man, Calvin Klein, in each of these sectors of the business.

The book also shows the conflicts between the big egos in fashion, how these conflicts play out, and how they affect employees of the fashion industry, and us the consumers. Last, the book gives a good idea of how money is divied up within the fashion world. Specifically, when someone buys an article of clothing at a store, that money gets divided among many different parties, and this book shows how that is done.

Overall, I am glad I read it. Nearly everyone in America is affected by the fashion industry, yet so few of us know anything about it. Reading this book helped changed that for me. I only give it three stars because for all the pluses of this book; I found it boring. Maybe I am just not interested in fashion.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read, September 6, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The House of Klein: Fashion, Controversy, and a Business Obsession (Hardcover)

If you are interested in fashion, this is a must read. The House of Klein is a fantastic book. The author shares the story of Calvin Klein with all the intimate details of his life and business. This is a book not to be missed!