CALVIN KLEIN CASE STUDY
Calvin Klein, a heritage leader in lifestyle apparel, sought to expand its core basics offering with a refreshed line of men’s underwear, women’s underwear, and assorted t-shirt packs. With an emphasis on clean design, premium fabric, and consistent quality, Calvin Klein needed a manufacturing partner capable of delivering at scale while upholding its exacting brand standards.
The Challenge
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Consistent Quality Across Categories
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Calvin Klein’s brand promise hinges on flawless fit, fabric hand-feel, and durability. Maintaining uniform standards across three distinct product lines (men’s underwear, women’s underwear, and t-shirt multipacks) required rigorous process controls.
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Increased Volume with Tight Lead Times
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Seasonal promotions and global retail roll-outs demanded flexible capacity. The brand needed a partner who could ramp up production quickly without sacrificing delivery deadlines.
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Sustainability and Compliance
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In line with growing consumer and retailer expectations, Calvin Klein wanted transparent sourcing, eco-friendly materials for select SKUs, and full compliance with social and environmental standards.
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Our Solution
Trinity Apparel LLC, powered by FourHGroup’s vertically integrated infrastructure, designed a turnkey manufacturing program tailored to Calvin Klein’s needs:
Dedicated Production Lines
Three specialized lines were established:
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Men’s Underwear: Seamless knitting and soft-touch waistband application.
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Women’s Underwear: Precision cut-and-sew with abrasion-resistant stitching.
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T-Shirt Packs: Automated cutting and bundling for assorted color sets
Premium Fabric Sourcing
We sourced combed ring-spun cotton blends and modal-cotton mixes, negotiated long-term fiber contracts to secure stable pricing, and conducted joint fabric trials to meet Calvin Klein’s hand-feel criteria.
Quality Assurance Protocols
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Inline inspections at every operation (knitting, dyeing, sewing).
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Final audit sampling with sub-1% defect tolerance.
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Digital record-keeping for lot-level traceability.
Sustainability Measures
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Integrated low-liquor dyeing to cut water use by 40%.
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Offered an organic cotton option certified by GOTS for 25% of the underwear SKU range.
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Ensured factory compliance with WRAP and BSCI standards.
Implementation
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Pilot Run & Approval
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In a six-week pilot phase, we produced 100,000 units across all categories. Calvin Klein’s design and quality teams conducted wear tests and fit reviews, providing feedback that we integrated into final tech packs.
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Scale-Up & Production
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Upon pilot approval, we mobilized additional shifts across our 14 factories, reaching a weekly capacity of 1,000,000 underwear pieces and 850,000 t-shirt sets within two months.
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Logistics & Delivery
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Leveraging FourHGroup’s export network, finished goods were consolidated in our New Jersey distribution center and shipped via ocean and air freight according to Calvin Klein’s retail launch calendar
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Results
On-Time Delivery Rate: 99.2% over 12 months
Volume Produced: 35 million men’s underwear, 28 million women’s underwear, and 12 million assorted t-shirt packs
Quality Yield: 99.3% first-pass yield, reducing rework costs by 45%
Sustainability Impact:
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Saved 120 million liters of water through low-liquor dyeing
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6,500,000 organic cotton units produced under GOTS certification
Calvin Klein reported a 15% reduction in supply chain variability and praised the “exceptional consistency and responsiveness” of our team.
Key Takeaways
Vertical Integration Drives Reliability: Controlling every step—from fiber to finished pack—ensures consistency and traceability.
Responsive Scalability Matters: Flexible capacity planning allows brands to meet peak retail demand without overcommitment.
Sustainability Is a Differentiator: Eco-friendly processes and certified materials strengthen brand positioning and retailer relationships.
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