It’s the end of the road at Calvin Klein for Veronica Leoni, creative director of Calvin Klein Collection.
Calvin Klein said Thursday that the brand and Leoni will part ways at the end of her current contract, confirming speculation that had been circulating in the market. A new Collection creative leadership will be revealed “in due course,” according to the company.
“I want to thank Veronica for her creative vision, commitment and partnership over the past two years,” said David Savman, global brand president of Calvin Klein. “Reintroducing Collection was a significant milestone for Calvin Klein, and Veronica’s exceptional talent and fresh perspective on Calvin’s iconic design codes helped build meaningful momentum for Collection. Collection remains an important part of our brand, we are excited by the progress to date and look forward to its continued evolution.”
Leoni, who was born in Rome, joined Calvin Klein to great fanfare in May 2024 and her debut collection was shown in February 2025 for fall/winter 2025. Her high-profile appointment followed a multi-year hiatus for Calvin Klein Collection on the runway following the departure of Raf Simons in 2018. It also represented the first time Calvin Klein Collection had a female creative director.
Calvin Klein himself showed up at Leoni’s debut runway presentation in February 2025, seated in the front row alongside Kelly Klein, Kate Moss and Christy Turlington. He had praised the collection, telling WWD, “I loved it. I loved the coats.”
While her debut collection might have been met with mixed reviews overall, her follow-up spring 2026 collection was called a “standout” by WWD. And then for spring 2027, WWD reported the collection “was distinctively more evolved and elevated in fabric and silhouette, centering firmly around the founder’s rich ‘90s sportswear and minimalist archive.” Further, WWD wrote, Leoni found her way back to the the brand’s strongest statements through a concise lineup that displayed promise and should be pushed forward with pieces that exude this restraint but perhaps with even more passionate allure.”
Calvin Klein Spring 2027 ready-to-wear collection at New York Fashion Week.
Courtesy of Calvin Klein
Last month, in fact, Calvin Klein came in first place in social engagement during New York Fashion Week, according to ListenFirst, the social analytics firm. The brand headed spring ’27 engagement with a 15.3 million score, up 552 percent versus last February’s show.
Despite the fact that the brand was receiving better reviews and creating more buzz recently, speculation had been swirling for months that Leoni’s contract may not be renewed. None of the stores surveyed by WWD listed Calvin Klein among their favorite collections during the recent New York Fashion Week.
According to Calvin Klein, Leoni played a key role in reestablishing Collection, bringing the brand back to the runway and generating strong visibility and share of voice across four shows. Her creative expression extended beyond the runway into cultural moments that further strengthened the brand’s presence in fashion. The company said Collection remains an important part of Calvin Klein’s long-term strategy, “and the pinnacle expression of the brand.”
A 2023 LVMH Prize finalist and founder of Quira, Leoni has previously worked for such brands as Jil Sander, Celine, Moncler and, most recently, The Row, where she was womenswear and menswear design director, in addition to Quira.
In the most recent second quarter ended Aug. 2, PVH Corp. reported that at Calvin Klein, revenues fell 7 percent to $913.3 million, with “an approximately 4 percent decrease attributable to the impact of wholesale shipment timing in the Americas” to the second half, as reported.
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