Whether it was sewing lessons from his grandmother, shopping trips with his mother or an apprenticeship with the esteemed coat manufacturer Dan Millstein in the New York fashion district, Klein knew that if he was going to succeed in the fashion business, he was going to have to take advantage of every single learning opportunity that presented itself. Known for his dedication to his craft, Klein often sacrificed much of his personal live to improve his skills and increase his chances of succeeding professionally.
Klein’s quest to understand all the intricacies of design – from the style of a cut to the design of a seam – began at an early age. A loner as a child, Klein gave up playing with friends in order to stay inside and learn how to sew from his grandmother, who was a seamstress. Knowing how this would appear to other kids, Klein ignored the jokes and continued to absorb the knowledge his grandmother was passing on to him. Even a casual shopping trip throughout town with his mother, Klein turned into a learning field trip – studying all the clothes he saw and examining the details of their designs. These early experiences would serve as a good base foundation for Klein’s later designs.
Unwilling to waste time chasing other pursuits, Klein enrolled himself into the High School of Industrial Art, where he could nurture his creativity. His acceptance into New York’s prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology was his reward for the hard work he was putting in to cultivate his design skills. Despite the attempts to teach himself, Klein understood the importance of also being technically and professionally trained if he was to move up in the industry.
After graduating from FIT, Klein did not create his own company. He knew there were still skills he was lacking and he set out to apprentice for numerous fashion designers throughout New York. His first job was with a dress company, where he earned $55 a week. After feeling like he had learned all he could there, he quit and began working for Millstein. Here, he earned $75 a week and stayed a few years longer since he was given the flexibility to perform more tasks and improve his skills. “I learned a lot, because he threw me into the snake pit,” recalls Klein. “It’s a fiercely competitive business, and Millstein was a perfect example of that world.”
Once his relationship with Millstein began to deteriorate and Klein became fed up with the products they were manufacturing, he accepted jobs with two other companies, where he earned $20,000 designing women’s clothes. After getting in trouble for trying to negotiate a private deal on his own creations, Klein recognized that he had learned all he could from others. It was now time for him to start his own business. Soon after, Calvin Klein Ltd. was formed.
With over 200 designers working in his studios today, Klein still stresses the importance of formal training in considering his next hire. “People have done it without having formal training in design, but I don't hire people unless they've been formally trained,” he says. “I look for people who really are talented, creative, inventive, modern in thinking and hard working. Because this is – we’re in a very hard, tough business.” In order to succeed, Klein exposed himself to as much informal and formal training as possible. It was only by learning from others and becoming an expert that he was able to make his mark on the fashion world.
Lesson #2: Become An Expert
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