Calvin and Kelly Klein's Minimalist Style Defined the 90s

The designer couple's pared-down aesthetic and cultural circle influenced the decade's visual language, as seen in the FX series "Love Story".

Mar. 13, 2026 at 4:00pm

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Decades before "quiet luxury" became a buzzword, designer Calvin Klein and his wife Kelly were living their own version of it. Their world - socially anchored by a close circle of artists, architects, photographers, and designers - was marked by a stripped-back aesthetic of neutral palettes and expansive, spare environments, making them the reigning arbiters of 1990s minimalism. This aesthetic is now being revisited in the FX series "Love Story", which chronicles the relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, who worked for Klein in the early to mid-1990s.

Why it matters

Calvin Klein and Kelly Klein's minimalist style and cultural circle defined the visual language of the 1990s, influencing everything from retail design to home decor. Their disciplined aesthetic, which extended beyond the workplace to their stores and homes, has become a touchstone for the era and is now being rediscovered by younger generations through shows like "Love Story".

The details

Every detail of Calvin Klein's West 39th Street headquarters in Manhattan reinforced the brand's minimalist look, from the stark Benjamin Moore 'Super White' walls repainted monthly to the polished concrete floors and lacquered black accents. The clean, architectural language extended beyond the workplace, echoing in Klein's stores and the homes he shared with Kelly, a photographer. An aesthete in her own right, Kelly Klein's books like "Pools" reflected the same cool, contemplative design-world sensibility.

  • Calvin Klein enlisted architect John Pawson in the early 1990s to design his Madison Avenue flagship store.
  • The flagship store opened in the fall of 1995 and was praised as a 'temple of modernism'.
  • The FX series "Love Story" debuted in 2026 and offers viewers a master class in 1990s visual language.

The players

Calvin Klein

A renowned American fashion designer who, along with his wife Kelly, defined the minimalist aesthetic of the 1990s through their brand, stores, and homes.

Kelly Klein

A photographer and the wife of Calvin Klein, who shared his disciplined, minimalist design sensibility and published books like "Pools" that reflected the same cool, contemplative aesthetic.

John Pawson

A legendary architect who was enlisted by Calvin Klein in the early 1990s to design his flagship Madison Avenue store, which cemented Pawson's reputation on an international scale.

Carolyn Bessette Kennedy

A former employee of Calvin Klein in the early to mid-1990s, whose style is now being revisited in the FX series "Love Story".

John F. Kennedy Jr.

The subject, along with his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, of the FX series "Love Story".

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What they’re saying

“Everything was considered. You felt like you were walking onto a beautifully designed, minimal set rather than an office—and you dressed the part.”

— Malcolm Carfrae, Founder of communications firm Carfrae Consulting, former Calvin Klein employee (Elle Decor)

“Calvin could have easily been an architect.”

— John Pawson, Architect (Elle Decor)

“I think if Calvin had his way, he would have had just one dress in the whole store visible.”

— John Pawson, Architect (Elle Decor)

What’s next

The FX series "Love Story" is expected to continue exploring the influence of Calvin and Kelly Klein's minimalist aesthetic on 1990s culture and fashion.

The takeaway

Calvin and Kelly Klein's pared-down, disciplined design sensibility and their close-knit circle of creative collaborators defined the visual language of the 1990s, from retail spaces to home decor. Their impact is now being rediscovered by younger generations through shows like "Love Story", highlighting the enduring influence of their minimalist aesthetic.