Justin Bieber kicked off his Purpose World Tour in Seattle Wednesday night with spectacular music, choreography, and style. Now, after his launch as a celebrity face — and body — for Calvin Klein last year, the brand has deepened its relationship and officially partnered with the Biebs to sponsor the pop icon’s tour.
On Thursday, Calvin Klein announced it is the exclusive apparel partner of the North American and European legs of the tour. It was later reported that the “Sorry” singer and his backing dancers will wear the brand’s lines for part of each show. The label will install “immersive experiences” at some of the tour stops and release a “limited-edition zine” featuring new images of Bieber from the brand’s spring ad campaign, with video footage from seen before the show.
Calvin Klein will also host a contest to give Beliebers the chance to win VIP tickets for specific show dates, plus an opportunity to meet Justin. The draw will be held on Twitter and Instagram, with details to be unveiled soon, Complex reports.
“I’m thrilled to continue my relationship with my friends at Calvin Klein on the tour,” said Bieber. “Calvin Klein is an iconic brand and it’s been a dream come true to work with them.”
CK also pushed out some Biebs promotion on Wednesday. Alongside a tweet and Instagram of a shirtless , jean-clad Justin standing against a graffiti’d wall holding a skateboard captioned, “I tour in #mycalvins,” the label wrote, “Excited to support @justinbieber as he embarks on his #purposetour. #mycalvins.”
A second post showed the still shirtless Canadian aloft on a skateboard, with the message, “I skate in #mycalvins.” Alongside this, the brand wrote, “The #purposetour will reveal @justinbieber as you’ve never seen him before. Calvin Klein will be there. Will you? #mycalvins.”
A third shows the singer shirtless with, “I bieber in #mycalvins,” The label notes, “Music + fashion, together: Calvin Klein has partnered with @justinbieber on his 64-date #PurposeTour. #mycalvins.”
However, as media outlets and eagle-eyed fashion watchers note, Bieber isn’t totally locked down with Calvin Klein. On stage last night (and evidently off it), the heartthrob also rocked custom clothes made by founder Jerry Lorenzo’s Los Angeles label, Fear of God, and a madras shirt and hood from Raf Simons’s Spring ’16 collection, GQ noted.
So, can we expect more mixing brands and looks from the Prince of Pop on his Purpose Tour ?
Speaking to Billboard, Bieber’s longtime stylist , Karla Welch, offered her insights on what’s to come. According to Welch, Bieber will definitely be seen in more Fear of God. Welch revealed she worked with Lorenzo to make five custom pieces for the tour, with F.O.G. sneakers spotted backstage . As mentioned, Karla says the singer’s look will incorporate Simons, shoes by adidas, and custom-made T-shirts.
“I could see the looks changing from concert to concert with the way Justin chooses to style them,” Welch reveals with Billboard .
In that same interview, Welch said Bieber is also into labels such as Rick Owens, L.A. label Amiri, Saint Lauren, and skate brands like Supreme and Vans, and she also talked about how the singer is on pop culture style.
Welch also commented on the anger Bieber drew from Nirvana and Manson fans after wearing custom T-shirts name-checking both, saying it’s a reflection of the singer’s growing fashion influence.
“He’s been pushing men’s fashion for the last five years,” she says. “If you look at the beginning of the Believe Tour, he was getting heat for the drop-crotch pants and super long T-shirts. But now, if you go to any menswear store, you see those styles reflected.” Welch previously said Bieber doesn’t care about backlash over his style. Something she agrees with, “Haters gonna hate,” she says.
Of the Fear of God pieces on Bieber’s Purpose tour , Welch says of the custom-made denim and tees, “We have been buying [Jerry’s] stuff for the last two years; it’s been a very fun process working [together].”
Of Bieber’s tour look, she says, “It’s more street grunge with a very vintage skater feel,” noting that he has less than one minute to change backstage. Explaining her vision, she continued, “I was living in Vancouver during the grunge era — I used to go down to Seattle to watch Pearl Jam play — and I always loved how those stoner boys looked.”
Welch added, “That’s what we started doing with the Purpose videos and now with the tour . It’s very undone.”
Welch, who is Canadian like Bieber, revealed their shared lineage was an asset when she first signed on to work with him on 2012’s Believe Tour. “We just met and clicked,” she says, “Canadians inherently love Canadians; that’s always been a bond. Canadians are super nationalists.”
Welch doesn’t just style Bieber, she also works with actresses Amy Poehler and Olivia Wilde. Asked whether she has any misgivings about working with a “controversial” pop star [ Billboard’s word], she replied, “If you listen to everything the press has to say, you’re losing at life.”
She went on to say the pair have a “100 percent collaborative” relationship and that “Justin enjoys the process.”
Summing up the 22-year-old’s star’s eclectic style, Welch said, “His approach to fashion has evolved the way his music has evolved: The approach is more chill, but he does take super fun risks.”
We’re loving Bieber’s Purpose Tour looks so far, and we can’t wait to see what he pulls off next.
[Images via Kevin Mazur / Getty Images / Instagram]