Veronica Leoni’s appointment as creative director of Calvin Klein Collection marks a pivotal moment in the brand’s storied history. Born and raised in Rome, Leoni’s academic roots are in literature and philosophy at La Sapienza di Roma, a background that infuses her work with intellectual rigor and narrative depth. Her career reads as a primer in modern minimalism: formative years at Jil Sander, time at Phoebe Philo’s Céline, a stint at Moncler, and a celebrated run at The Row. In 2020, she launched her own label, Quira, which quickly garnered critical acclaim and the attention of the fashion world.
Leoni’s arrival at Calvin Klein is both a homecoming and a bold leap forward for the brand. As the first woman to hold the creative director post, she steps into a legacy defined by American minimalism and sensuality-a legacy she is uniquely positioned to evolve. PVH Corp., Calvin Klein’s parent company, tasked her with embodying “the ultimate representation” of the brand, aiming to connect its founding spirit to a new generation of consumers.
A Return to Roots, a Redefinition of Sexitude
Leoni’s debut at New York Fashion Week Fall 2025 was more than a collection; it was a statement of intent. In a spare, logo-stamped showspace at Calvin Klein’s Manhattan headquarters, she delivered a vision that both honored and reinterpreted the brand’s DNA. The show opened with a monastic black sheath dress, setting a tone of seductive restraint. What followed was a parade of elongated coats, angular skirt suits, and column dresses in a palette of greys, whites, and neutrals-echoes of Klein’s 1990s heyday, but with a softer, more intimate touch.
Leoni’s philosophy is rooted in what she calls “sexitude”-an embrace of one’s own sexuality and comfort, rather than overt provocation. She strips back the garments, letting the fabric and the wearer’s confidence speak, eschewing the shoulder pads and streetwear influences that marked recent eras. Instead, tailoring is hollowed out for weightless integrity, and underwear-inspired pieces-knitted henleys, slip dresses-hint at intimacy without cliché.
Her approach stands in contrast to the hard-edged minimalism of Calvin Klein’s early years and the conceptual streetwear experiments of Raf Simons’s tenure. Where Klein’s original vision was about making women feel secure and modern through simplicity and superb tailoring, Leoni’s is about exposing the inner workings, allowing the body to influence the garment rather than the reverse. The result is a collection that feels at once classic and contemporary, American and European, powerful and vulnerable.
The runway and front row underscored the significance of the moment. Kendall Jenner walked in a wide-shouldered maxi coat, while supermodels Kate Moss and Christy Turlington-icons of Calvin Klein’s 1990s campaigns-watched from the audience alongside Anna Wintour, Bad Bunny, and FKA Twigs. Their presence was a living bridge between past and present, a testament to Leoni’s ability to command both heritage and relevance.
Leoni’s Calvin Klein is not a radical departure but a thoughtful evolution. She picks up where Klein himself left off, channeling the brand’s monumental minimalism and pulsing sensuality for a new era. Her debut is a reminder that true modernity lies not in constant reinvention, but in the courage to strip back, reveal, and refine. As Calvin Klein himself said after the show, he was happy to find a new coat to buy-and with Leoni at the helm, so too will a new generation of Calvin Klein devotees.
