John Varvatos
Fashion Designer
John Varvatos is a fashion designer. He joined Polo Ralph Lauren in 1983, and then moved on to Calvin Klein in 1990, where he was appointed head of menswear design and oversaw the launch of the men's collection and the cK brand. During his time at Calvin Klein, Varvatos pioneered a type of men's undergarment called boxer briefs, a hybrid of boxer shorts and briefs, which were made famous by a series of 1992 print ads featuring Mark Wahlberg. In 1995, Varvatos returned to Ralph Lauren as head of menswear design for all Polo Ralph Lauren brands and created the Polo Jeans Company.
The designer presented his first collection in 2000. Having been born in Detroit, Varvatos has always loved Motor City rock and roll and his designs are often inspired by rock icons such as Iggy Pop and Alice Cooper, who are also customers.
Varvatos started with his 'black-less' collection, comprising of rumpled and tailored menswear. The collection received critical acclaim and a CFDA newcomer award, and led to a collaboration with Converse for whom he created laceless sneakers. John Varvatos now comprises menswear, womenswear, and the diffusion label John Varvatos Star USA. John Varvatos filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2020.
John Varvatos is a fashion designer. He joined Polo Ralph Lauren in 1983, and then moved on to Calvin Klein in 1990, where he was appointed head of menswear design and oversaw the launch of the men's collection and the cK brand. During his time at Calvin Klein, Varvatos pioneered a type of men's undergarment called boxer briefs, a hybrid of boxer shorts and briefs, which were made famous by a series of 1992 print ads featuring Mark Wahlberg. In 1995, Varvatos returned to Ralph Lauren as head of menswear design for all Polo Ralph Lauren brands and created the Polo Jeans Company.
The designer presented his first collection in 2000. Having been born in Detroit, Varvatos has always loved Motor City rock and roll and his designs are often inspired by rock icons such as Iggy Pop and Alice Cooper, who are also customers.
Varvatos started with his 'black-less' collection, comprising of rumpled and tailored menswear. The collection received critical acclaim and a CFDA newcomer award, and led to a collaboration with Converse for whom he created laceless sneakers. John Varvatos now comprises menswear, womenswear, and the diffusion label John Varvatos Star USA. John Varvatos filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2020.
