Luella Bartley Joins Calvin Klein as Head of Global Design for Jeans

Luella Bartley is the new head of global design for Calvin Klein Jeans. The announcement, which was made early Monday morning while most of us were still buzzing about the Academy Awards Best Picture flub, came without any rumors or buzzy lead-up. In her new role, Bartley will report to creative director Pieter Mulier and Franck Belochi, the president of Calvin Klein Jeans Europe. Her mission is to unify the design of the Calvin Klein Jeans brand globally in keeping with the new, singular spirit of Calvin Klein under Raf Simons.

While the move might come as a surprise, Bartley is an ideal fit for the new CK. Her youth-centric vision has made her past collections, at both her shuttered eponymous brand and for Marc by Marc Jacobs, fashion fan favorites. She also has a way with denim and motifs that Simons himself seems to be a fan of; the printed T-shirts and anoraks he often wears are from a Marc by Marc Jacobs collection Bartley designed.

What’s less clear is the fate of Bartley’s current, much-lauded brand Hillier Bartley, designed with Katie Hillier, which has gained traction with retailers and celebrities since its launch in 2015. The brand is apparently not doing a Fall 2017 presentation during Paris Fashion Week.