On October 15, 2026, American fashion house Calvin Klein officially confirmed the end of its collaboration with Veronica Leoni, creative director of Calvin Klein Collection. According to the Wave publication citing the brand's official statement published by Vogue, this became known the day after the press release was issued. During her two years in the role, Leoni managed to present four collections for the brand and entered the fashion house's history as the first woman to lead this division. Her arrival also marked the return of Calvin Klein Collection to the runway after a seven-year hiatus: prior to her arrival, the brand's collections were last shown under the leadership of Raf Simons, who left the company in 2018.
The First Woman at the Helm and Return to the Runway
Veronica Leoni took the helm of Calvin Klein Collection in May 2024, taking on a task considered one of the most challenging in the industry — returning the brand's flagship designer line to the runway after a long absence. Before joining Calvin Klein, she worked with fashion houses such as Jil Sander, Céline, Moncler, and The Row, and in 2021 she founded her own brand, Quira, which she subsequently suspended to take on the new position. Calvin Klein Global President David Savman thanked Leoni for her work in an official statement, noting: «I want to thank Veronica for her creative vision, dedication, and collaboration over the past two years». According to him, the return of Calvin Klein Collection was an important milestone for the brand, and the designer's talent and fresh perspective on the signature style helped inject new momentum into the collection.
Four Collections and Mixed Critical Reception
Leoni's debut for Calvin Klein Collection took place in February 2025 at New York Fashion Week with the Fall/Winter 2025/26 collection, which was one of the most anticipated shows in the fashion industry. The designer attempted to reinterpret Calvin Klein's recognizable aesthetic by combining 1990s minimalism, strict silhouettes, sharp tailoring, and elements of modern femininity. However, not all experiments received favorable reviews: some fashion critics considered her approach too complex for a brand historically associated with conciseness and simplicity. The contrast was sharpest regarding the final stage of collaboration: Leoni's last collection, presented in September 2026 in New York, was received much more warmly by the press. This fourth and final collection for the designer marked her last before departure.
Context: Sales and Parent Company PVH Strategy
The leadership change occurs against the backdrop of broader transformations within the brand. According to Vogue, in the second quarter of 2026, Calvin Klein's sales declined by 7% compared to the same period of the previous year. Parent company PVH continues implementing its development strategy for Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, aiming to strengthen both brands' positions in the global market. At the same time, Calvin Klein Collection remains the brand's highest designer line, meant to showcase its creative vision and set the tone for the entire lineup. The company emphasized that this direction remains an important part of Calvin Klein's long-term development strategy, while the reasons for Leoni's departure were not officially disclosed.
What Next: Unknown Successor and Leoni's Plans
At the time the statement was published, Calvin Klein did not name either the reasons for parting ways with the designer or the name of her successor as creative director of Calvin Klein Collection. Veronica Leoni's further professional plans also remain unknown: it is possible that upon completing her work at Calvin Klein, she will return to developing her own brand Quira, work on which she suspended in 2024. For the fashion industry, Leoni's departure is doubly significant — she became the first woman to lead this American house line, and her arrival concluded a seven-year hiatus in Calvin Klein Collection runway shows, making the choice of a new creative director one of the brand's key personnel decisions in the coming months.
