Calvin Klein launched its 2026 holiday campaign worldwide on Monday 9 November 2026. The face of the campaign is Jung Kook, a member of BTS and the label’s global ambassador since March 2023. This time there is no newly designed capsule: the singer has put together his own edit from among the brand’s established classics. The campaign was shot and directed by British photographer Alasdair McLellan, who also worked with both sides on their May collaboration.
On its social media accounts, the brand is introducing the campaign with the words “Unwrap the Icons” and calls the shopping page “Jung Kook’s Edit”. The images will appear in stores, on the brand’s website, on social media and on outdoor advertising.
Watch Jung Kook's five looks on Calvin Klein's Instagram account
Inside the edit, in five looks
In the short film shared by Calvin Klein, Jung Kook appears on camera in five looks for five different holiday moments. Jeans form the backbone of the edit: the Barrel, ’90s Straight and Baggy cuts are among the campaign’s main pieces. They are joined by marled knit sweaters, crewneck T-shirts, aviator, leather and moto jackets, accessories and the underwear line.
The combinations highlighted in the official images keep to the same simplicity. One look pairs a black leather jacket with a white T-shirt and light-wash jeans. In another image, a dark-wash denim jacket is finished with dark trousers. The look the brand suggests for relaxed moments features a marled polo sweater with ’90s Straight jeans. In the final part of the film, a black suit, white shirt and tie take the edit somewhere more formal. The campaign’s storyline uses moments of unwrapping, gift giving and getting ready.
See the leather jacket and jeans look on Calvin Klein's Instagram account
In remarks carried by Dazed, Jung Kook puts the emphasis on his relationship with denim: “There are certain Calvin Klein styles that I always come back to”. He explains that there are some models he keeps returning to at the brand, and denim in particular. In the same statement, he says he likes that the pieces can be worn either smartly or simply, which makes each look personal.
See the dark-wash denim and polo sweater looks on Calvin Klein's Instagram account
After the May capsule
The reason this campaign is drawing attention is what happened in May. With the capsule that went on sale on 19 May 2026, Jung Kook took part on the design side for Calvin Klein for the first time. In the series, inspired by his passion for motorcycles, prices ranged from 29 to 699 dollars. According to Dazed, the collection sold out worldwide in less than half an hour, and in China that time fell to 30 seconds; heavy demand caused access problems for the brand’s website in the US and Europe.
The singer also appeared in the brand’s autumn campaign, “Feel The Fit”, in September. So the holiday campaign is not a one-off showcase but the latest link in an intensive partnership that has been running for several months.
The idea of an edit is not unique to Jung Kook either. Since late October, Calvin Klein has also been publishing holiday edits prepared by different stylists and content creators on its Instagram account under the same “Unwrap the Icons” heading. The brand’s seasonal communication also includes an Icon Cotton Stretch underwear project featuring footballer Jude Bellingham. So rather than resting on a single face, the holiday campaign is built on a setup in which everyone makes their own Calvin Klein list, with Jung Kook as its most visible name.
Why it matters
In our view, what is really interesting is the change of method. In May, buyers were offered a limited number of new pieces; now a famous name is adding his own taste to products already on the shelf. This is a way of giving familiar jeans and jackets a fresh story without producing a new collection. For shoppers looking for gifts during the holiday season, it is also a setup that makes choosing easier.
The picture also shows how the role of celebrity ambassadors is changing in the fashion world. The ambassador is no longer just the face in the advert, but is positioned almost as a curator who suggests what to wear. There is a lesson from Türkiye’s point of view as well: for local brands, a sincere edit of existing products by a well-known figure could be a strong communication idea at a lower cost than a signature collection. Of course, this formula only works as long as people believe the person making the edit really wears the brand.
Sources
- Dazed: Jung Kook for Calvin Klein holiday campaign
- Yahoo: Calvin Klein Unfurls the Icons With Jung Kook
- Oui Speak Fashion: Calvin Klein Holiday 2026
- Daily Front Row: pieces from the May capsule
Image: A Calvin Klein Jeans store in Xinxiang, China (representative image, not from the campaign) — Windmemories, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Instagram posts in this article are official posts by the respective accounts and are published using Instagram’s embed tool; the rights to the images belong to their owners.