Calvin home adds more super-luxe

NEW YORK — An expanded decorative rug program and a new super luxury towel highlighted the new Calvin Klein Home collection for spring.

Rugs, initially offered in a wool/silk mix, now are offered in a Luster Wash hand-made New Zealand wool construction in eight designs that has the sheen of silk; machine made wool, also in eight designs and nine designs in a wool/silk blend. The 6' x 9' size retails for $700, $600, and $1,500 respectively.

The Lush Towel, the luxury entry, is made of a low twist cotton yarn from Japan that is woven in Turkey with the bath priced at $35, regular, $30 sale. Lush is offered in nine colors.

Four new beds are featured in the Calvin Klein Collection including Arasta, an ombre in faded carpet colorings of golds, pinks and berries with yarn-dyed sheets and velvet and silk pillows; Bleached Dahlia, a subtle printed dahlia with accent pillows of hand-dyed charmeuse; Linen Shine, a mix of color gradations in grays, violets and pinks with a linen texture quality and a silk charmeuse/linen bed cover; and Cocoon, a mix of single and double weaves, pleating, stitching, layering in cream white and soft grays, with pillows in gauze felt and silk.

Retails for queen duvets range from $280 to $500.

In Khaki, Izmir, features a mix of broad stripes in bright oranges, aquas and pinks and Shaded Bamboo, a mix of texture and colors in green, aqua and yellow.

A full/queen duvet retails for $215 in each style.

The company has expanded its table linens assortment to work with the tabletop introductions that emphasize a move toward soft, tinted color, especially lavender. The collection also features a broadened selection of items keyed to bridal registries, both as gifts for the bridal couple and as gifts for the attendants.

Discussing the business, Barbara Deichman, senior vp, home design said, "We have almost 350 doors with Collection and in Khaki we are adding Dillard's with 20 doors in October, 26 in November and more in 2004.

The goal for Khaki, she said, is about 600 doors "but no big boxes are planned."

Global expansion also is planned with two doors in Russia scheduled for '04 and 68 doors already in place in four countries, Deichman noted.

As for new licensing, Deichman said paint was a prime target, and "we're starting to talk about furniture. A lot of our retailers have asked us to move in this direction." In addition, there will be licensees upcoming for Asia, she said.