Calvin Klein

Calvin Klein was born on 19 November 1942 in the Bronx. He became one of the most successful fashion designers by using edgy and sexually provocative marketing to sell his products to ordinary people.

Calvin Klein first learned fashion at the Fashion Institute of Technology. He then learned the clothing business by spending five years as a designer in the New York garment industry.

Klein collaborated with his childhood friend, Barry Schwartz, to form Calvin Klein, Inc. on December 28, 1967. Schwartz provided the financing and received half of the business, while Klein contributed his creative skills. They opened a coat shop in Manhattan’s York Hotel.

They were soon asked to supply a line of clothing for department store Bonwit Teller.

His designer jeans line was launched who a Richard Avedon advertisement featuring a young Brooke Shields. His designs were modern, simple and sophisticated, combining comfort and practicality with elegance and sexiness.

In 1982, the Calvin Klein underwear division partnered with photographer Bruce Weber to created images of monumental men dressed only a pair of briefs emblazoned with the Calvin Klein label across the waistband.

During the 1990s Klein’s design concept explored images of androgyny and bisexuality, epitomized by the launch of cK One, his unisex designer fragrance.

In 2002, Calvin Klein, Inc. was sold to Van Heusen Corporation for over $430 million.

In 2004, Klein turned his attention to the outerwear market, an area that he had addressed only sporadically over his years in business. He signed a licensing with Marvin Richards to manufacture and distribute this line.
Calvin Klein

Merchants coffee house

The early coffee house was an important factor in New York life. Early American coffeehouses were often the center for political, social and business interaction.

For example plans for founding of the Bank of New York were formulated and then finalized at the Merchant’s Coffee house.

In 1737 Daniel Bloom, a mariner bought the Jamaica Boat tavern from John Dunks and named it the Merchants coffee house. The coffee house located at the end of Wall Street in New York.

The Merchants coffee house was the location for frequent vendues of merchandise and commodities, ships and their cargoes, real estate and horses as well as slaves. It was a center of trade. It also served as an insurance office.

Merchants coffee house hosted the Sons of Liberty on April 18, 1774, following the example of their Boston compatriots, met there to plan their won blockage of British tea imports.

The next months, leaders of the revolution gathered there to draft their call for the First Continental Congress.

Bloom was landlord until his death soon after the year 1750. He was succeed by Captain James Ackland, who shortly sold it to Luke Roome.
Merchants coffee house