Calvin Klein names Veronica Leoni as Creative Director of Collection

Calvin Klein has named Veronica Leoni, an acclaimed indie designer, as its new Creative Director of Collection in a surprise move. The appointment of Leoni means that there will be “a forthcoming return to the runway,” said Calvin Klein Inc., a brand within PVH Corp, in a release on Thursday. 
 
Leoni’s Collection will include men’s and women’s apparel, underwear and accessories, and debut with Fall 2025, suggesting that her first runway outing may be in February 2025 in New York.
 

Calvin Klein, one of America’s most iconic fashion houses, has not presented a live runway show since it parted ways with designer Raf Simons back in 2018.
 
“I’m thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to write a new chapter of the Calvin Klein story. For decades, Calvin Klein interpreted the idea of bold self-expression, and I am willing to empower it with a strong accent on style and creativity. I’m deeply thankful to Eva Serrano for her vision and trust,” said Leoni, who will report directly into Calvin Klein Global Brand President Serrano. 

“My career has been marked by inspiring encounters with some of the most visionary women in fashion and she is one of them. I also want to thank PVH CEO Stefan Larsson for the amazing opportunity to celebrate one of the most influential brands of American fashion,” Leoni added. 
 
Leoni — a 2023 LVMH Prize finalist and founder of the fashion forward label Quira – will bring to Calvin Klein her experience working at many celebrated fashion brands. These include Jil Sander, Céline, Moncler and The Row. 
 
As Creative Director of Collection, “she will merge her deep industry expertise with the modern aesthetic of Calvin Klein to design the ultimate representation of the brand, while partnering with Eva Serrano to bring inspiration from Collection to the mainline portfolio and the red carpet,” the New York-based house added in its communiqué.
 
“We are proud to name Veronica as Creative Director of Collection, the pinnacle expression of the Calvin Klein brand,” said Serrano. “It was clear from our first conversations that Veronica’s life’s work had been preparing her for this moment and the opportunity to define a new era for Calvin Klein. I am confident that her purposeful approach to design and work ethic, combined with our shared values, will further enrich our iconic brand and result in a collection that resonates with our consumers around the world.” 
 
Leoni’s appointment is an important strategic step for Calvin Klein, which has drifted as a brand in the absence of a strong designer. Widely regarded as the master of American minimalism, its founder created an iconic label in the four decades he helmed the company after opening it in 1968. After he sold out for $730 million to PVH, he was ably succeeded by Francisco Costa in 2003. He in turn was followed by Simons, whose tenure ended in considerable rancor.
 
Under Serrano, the house is clearly ambitious to return to a leadership role in New York fashion and inspire the next generation of consumers. 
 
“Eva and her team are already driving some of the highest consumer engagement in Calvin Klein’s history. Veronica’s work will add the next-level aspirational halo for the brand and reinforce the strong foundation already in place towards building Calvin Klein into one of the most desirable lifestyle brands in the world,” concluded Larsson.