Calvin Klein Inc. announced last week it has signed a licensing deal with an affiliate of Italian manufacturer Fingen SpA to reintroduce CK Calvin Klein clothing line and accessories in Europe and the Middle East starting next spring.

According to the company's statement, the plan is to distribute the bridge collection in the listed regions and open over 50 CK boutiques during next 5 years in such major cities as Paris, London, Milan, Madrid, Berlin and Dubai.

Since the company was acquired by Philips-Van Heusen in 2003, it has invested strongly in the bridge business, re-launching CK in the US and strengthening distribution of its products across Asia.

"The CK bridge business is a very important part of our brand architecture," said Tom Murry, president and chief operating officer of Calvin Klein Inc. "We have been working for a long time to get back into the bridge business in apparel, in footwear and accessories on a global business. And we have been judiciously getting back into the business region by region, being careful to make sure we are with qualified partners who share our long-term vision."

In 2001 CK cancelled the global agreement with Stefanel.

"The approach we have taken this time is to be more regional, and find partners in each region that really understood their individual markets and specialized in those markets," Murry told WWD. "We have a global identity, which is maintained by creative director Kevin Carrigan, but as important as the global identity is regional specialization."

Club 21, a licensee for CK Calvin Klein in South Asia plans to operate 15 CK stores in regions like Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia by yearend.