Calvin Klein 205W39NYC Spring 2019

Raf Simons is no stranger to the dark side of the American dream. So he looked no further than 20th Century films of said summer seasons gone awry: Tuesday night, in Calvin Klein’s headquarters, the opening scene of Jaws was the first to play when the lights dimmed, followed by wet-haired models in the brand’s Spring collection.

Hairstyling aside, the pieces all took a turn towards the maritime: tees and tanks emblazoned with the Jaws movie poster (and then stamped with the CK Logo) made their appearances, both over and underneath skin-clinging scuba suits. Simons distressed chunky fisherman-esque knits and pleated asymmetrical skirts, as if they’d been bitten out of, and topped things off with mid-century floral motifs and animal prints on cocktail dresses.

Second to his vision was The Graduate, hence the models donning robes, caps, and tassels with wide-cut tweed blazers and dinner jackets in seventies’ pastels. Accessories, such as fringe scarves, nautical beanies and a range of pointed-toe pumps and boots, all bolstered Simons’ sultry take on America’s cultural past and, more prominently, elucidated his dark interpretation of its present.

See all the looks from the collection, below.