In 1978, Calvin Klein introduced a full line of 'designer' jeans, featuring a high-waisted, tight fit and a distinctive back pocket stitching pattern. The jeans were priced significantly higher than traditional workwear denim, positioning them as a luxury item. The line's success, driven by provocative advertising campaigns, established the concept of the 'designer jean' and transformed the denim market.

The 'designer jean' phenomenon of the late 1970s became a subject of cultural critique in the poetry of the era, as writers examined the commodification of rebellion and the creation of new status symbols. Poets like Frank O'Hara and James Schuyler, who wrote about the intersections of art, commerce, and everyday life, found in the designer jean a perfect emblem of the consumer culture they observed in New York City. The brand's advertising campaigns, which often featured provocative imagery, also influenced the visual culture that poets engaged with.