Klein quits his design duties to consult

Now that Calvin Klein has sold his brand, he is ready to relinquish his design duties. The 60-year-old fashion designer, whose company was acquired for $438 million in February by the publicly traded Phillips-Van Heusen Corp., told Women’s Wear Daily this week that he will no longer be designing his signature men’s and women’s collections. His future role, he said, will be “consulting creative director.”

Two of the company’s current designers will be in charge. Francisco Costa will be responsible for the women’s line, and Italo Zucchelli for men’s wear.

Klein, who is often credited with inventing the designer jeans market, rose to fame on the strength of his cool, minimalist aesthetic. His life has often been tinged with controversy -- he was accused of exploiting childhood sexuality, most famously with an ad campaign that starred a teenage Brooke Shields, and he has admitted to battling addiction.

In March, Klein was escorted back to his seat at a New York Knicks game after walking onto the court to speak to a player during the game.

Monday, the designer was quoted by Women’s Wear Daily as saying he had recently returned from a month of rehab in Arizona.