Jewellery (jewelry)

By Karyn Monget Calvin Klein Underwear will kick off a worldwide advertising campaign with a sexy new face and voluptuous figure: Eva Mendes.

The deal deepens the brand’s involvement with Mendes, who already has been named as the face of Calvin Klein’s upcoming fragrance, the name of which has not been revealed.

The Hollywood connection with Cuban-American Mendes, who is known for her roles in movies including “Hitch,” “Training Day” and “We Own the Night,” with former Calvin Klein Underwear model Mark Wahlberg reflects the growing trend of designer brands associating their images with celebrities. Kate Bosworth is the current face of Calvin Klein Jeans and Hilary Swank was the glam image for Calvin Klein Underwear in 2006. Meanwhile, David Beckham is plastered all over billboards worldwide in ads for Emporio Armani Underwear.

Beginning this fall, the sultry Mendes will be featured in a multimillion-dollar print and outdoor advertising campaign for the Calvin Klein Underwear brand, as well as the launch of Seductive Comfort, the latest introduction of Calvin Klein foundations for women. The Seductive Comfort group addresses the consumer demand for underwear and intimates that have the aesthetics, comfort, function and brand recognition for women with fuller figures and generous bust lines.

Asked if the image of Mendes’ two visits to rehab in February at the Utah-based Cirque Clinic where Lindsay Lohan and Kirsten Dunst have also checked in is expected to impact the campaign, Tom Murry, president and chief operating officer of Calvin Klein Inc., a division of Phillips-Van Heusen Corp., said, “No, it has not. We were already in one [fragrance] campaign when it [rehab] occurred and it did not affect our decision-making for the underwear campaign.”

Mendes is a Calvin Klein aficionado and has been wardrobed by Calvin Klein Collection numerous times. She has worked with the Collection’s creative director, Francisco Costa, for events including the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s awards gala, the Whitney Art Party for the Whitney Museum, Fashion Rocks and last month’s Independent Spirit Awards. She even visited the Calvin Klein flagship on Madison Avenue earlier this month to pick up a few outfits to celebrate her birthday.

Murry said the company was pleased to be able to “capitalize on the benefits of having a beautiful and talented actress like Eva Mendes featured in two campaigns running this fall.
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