John Varvatos: The man who made boxer briefs cool — and sportswear cooler

Over the last few decades, few designers have left as wide a mark on American style as John Varvatos. From modernizing heritage brands to building a label of his own, his career spans decades of influence across both fashion and pop culture. For Varvatos, nonconformity and rebellion have always been the throughline, whether in music, style, or self-expression. That energy carried him from Ralph Lauren’s design studio, which he joined in 1984, to Calvin Klein, where he helped redefine men’s underwear with the creation of the boxer brief and a campaign that made cultural history. By the late ’90s, surrounded by brands starting to blur together, Varvatos knew he had something different to say. With his mentor Ralph Lauren’s blessing, he struck out on his own in 2000, launching a label built on sharp tailoring, craft, and a rock-and-roll edge that has since become his signature. Today, the pioneering creative leads design at Under Armour, where he is reshaping performance apparel with style and innovation. In an exclusive conversation with Jing Daily, Varvatos reflects on his journey and shares how music, technology, and a desire to grow continue to inform his vision today. Jing Daily: How did you end up in a career as a fashion designer? John Varvatos: I’m a gym enthusiast. I used to be a runner, but now the treadmill is as far as I go. I played sports when I was younger, so I’ve always been active. Music was another obsession from an early age — it influenced me deeply. But growing up in Detroit, which wasn’t a fashionable city at the time, I never imagined a career in fashion. I just thought about style. It was always style — putting your own look together. After graduating with a degree in education in the sciences, I decided to pursue fashion, having worked in clothing stores through college. My first real break was at Ralph Lauren, where I joined the wholesale sales team. Not long after, they moved me to New York to head sales for the company. JD: What were those early fashion days like? JV: Being around the design studio every day was inspiring. I began taking evening classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) — illustration, pattern making, and tailoring. I already knew some basics from working with tailors in the stores, but I wanted more tools. Eventually, I transitioned into design at Ralph Lauren. From there, I was recruited to Calvin Klein to head up men’s design. That role was a turning point. I oversaw tailoring, sportswear, and what was then a small underwear business. I launched the CK line, created the boxer brief — a style still dominant today — and helped transform the brand’s image. The Mark Wahlberg campaign was pivotal; suddenly, we couldn’t make enough products. It reshaped not just Calvin Klein but the entire men’s underwear market. JD: What inspired you to branch off and create your own brand? JV: After several years, Ralph asked me back to head design. It was like returning to a mentor. At Ralph Lauren, I worked on new lines like Double RL, Polo Sport, and Black Label. But by the late ’90s, I realized too many brands looked alike. I felt a lightning bolt moment: I needed to do something different on my own. In 1999, after months of conversation, I left Ralph Lauren to start my own label. Ralph asked me, “Do you really feel you have something new to say? Because a lot of people over time have left this company, and they try to do a version of Ralph Lauren.” And I said, “No, I love this company, and I love the look, but I'm not thinking of anything that has to do with Ralph Lauren. I think I have something new to say.” And then I did my first show in New York, and I got a lot of great press. Ralph wrote me another note: “You are doing what you said you were going to do. You have your own voice.” And it felt so great. JD: What defined your brand over its two-decade run? JV: I launched my brand in 2000 and stayed with it for over two decades. We built a strong identity and had a remarkable run. Throughout it all, I carried lessons from what I call “Polo University”: the importance of raising the bar, refining every detail, building a brand, and always striving to create something better than you imagined. When I was in high school, I realized how deeply pop culture was shaping me — not just musically, but in how I dressed and how I thought about rebellion. At the time, I didn’t even know what “pop culture” was, but it was shaping my identity. My brand was never meant to be just about rock music; it was about rebellion. I’ve always loved the rebels, the ones who broke rules and pushed boundaries. Iggy Pop embodied that in the late ’60s — there was nobody like him. Later, artists like Chris Cornell, who became one of my closest friends, carried that spirit forward. They were all rebels at heart. JD: How have you adapted your approach to fashion as technology has reshaped the industry? JV: The world keeps getting smaller and smaller. So what was trending in New York or in Paris or in Shanghai or Tokyo at one time, it kind of all happens at the same time now because of technology. Everything is instantaneous. Someone’s on TikTok, they’re on Instagram, they’re posting — everything is propagating so quickly out there. JD: How are you adapting your skills and experience as Chief Design Officer at Under Armour? JV: Now with Under Armour, when I design for sport as the brand’s Chief Design Officer, I don’t think more about style — I think about luxury and quality. I think about technology. Even if you don’t buy the plated running shoe, you still benefit from the same innovations — the foam, cushioning, and performance elements all carry through. It’s the same with apparel. In August, we launched the Halo collection across apparel and footwear, and the response has been incredible — first in China, and now in North America and globally. We’re focused on color, fit, and innovation, with technology driving everything, whether it’s fabric wicking, breathability, sustainability, or full regeneration. It’s one of the things we’re driving the brand with: technology mixed with style mixed with great taste and great color because you can be all of those things. It really is inspiring when you think about how your job is to make the athlete better at their art. Jing Daily presents Jing Masterminds — a fortnightly, exclusive interview series profiling today’s most iconic names in art, fashion, commerce and culture. Delving deep into their personal journeys, creative processes, business strategies and societal impacts, the series offers readers an intimate look at the lives and minds shaping our industries.

Sectors

Insights

Company

John Varvatos: The man who made boxer briefs cool — and sportswear cooler