The House Of Klein: Fashion, Controversy, And A Business Obsession

"From Mosholu Parkway to the high fashion salons of Paris and Milan, Lisa Marsh takes us on a Mach-1 ride through the world of Calvin Klein. A well-told tale of a boy from the Bronx who revolutionized fashion and made himself rich, yet somehow failed to make himself happy. The essential, and eternal, morality play of business."
-Christopher Byron, author, Martha Inc.

"This is more than the rags-to-riches story of a creative genius peddling perfume and denim. Marsh brilliantly traces how our culture evolved in the last part of the twentieth century, as Calvin Klein pushed us toward his minimalist aesthetic and challenged our puritanism with his sexy advertising."
-Richard Johnson, Editor, New York Post's Page Six

"Lisa Marsh gives us an informed and never-before-revealed look at the inner business workings of one of fashion's most compelling brands . . . Her blending of business with a backdrop of fashion, tells a fascinating story of an iconic American brand's struggles and successes, culminating with what seems to be the beginning of a 'new chapter.' Even as an industry insider, I found the book to be fresh with a new point of view on one of the most talked about and written about designers in the business."
-Reed Krakoff, President/Executive Creative Director, Coach, Inc.

"More than any other designer, Calvin Klein has relied on advertising to create his company's image. Author Lisa Marsh recognizes the mechanics behind the magic while telling Klein's rags-to-riches story with style from beginning to end. It's a compelling read and one you'll learn from."
-Donny Deutsch, Chairman and CEO, Deutsch, Inc.

"Calvin Klein is not just a brilliant, creativedesigner and groundbreaking marketer . . . Calvin Klein is a company that has grown from wheeling a rack of coats from Seventh Avenue to Fifth Avenue to being the most recognized name in fashion around the world. Lisa Marsh takes you on that fascinating business trip."
-Fern Mallis, Executive Director, 7th on Sixth, Vice President, IMG

"Calvin Klein found an opening in men's underwear and never looked back. Crack fashion scribe Lisa Marsh gets right there in the closet with him."
-Ben Widdicombe, columnist, "Chic Happens"

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 exposA(c) 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.