Calvin Klein's Asia Pacific chief brand officer to leave amid restructure

Calvin Klein's Asia Pacific chief brand officer, Elizabeth Edmiston, is stepping down after five years in the region "to pursue other interests", confirmed the US apparel brand in a press statement. 

Edmiston's departure comes in the wake of global chief creative officer Raf Simons' exit last December and is also a result of Calvin Klein's worldwide restructure announced this January.

Following the Warnaco acquisition by multi-brand fashion group PVH, Edmiston relocated from New York to Hong Kong in 2013 to be responsible for design, visual merchandising, marketing, PR, licensing, retail operations and e-commerce. She then became the chief brand officer in 2016 to lead the strategic direction and overall brand management of the Calvin Klein business. 

She is credited by CK with several key initiatives including the launch of the brand’s digital footprint across Asia, the integration of digital with the retail store experience, and building a 6,000 sq-ft flagship store in Shanghai. She also helped develop the Calvin Klein performance line of products that now sells in Asia, Europe and Latin America, according to the company. 

Calvin Klein has currently around 2,500 stores in Asia Pacific, with China contributing half of the region's revenue. Brand ambassadors for Asia include Taiwanese musician Jam Hsiao and Chinese actress Jelly Lin.