Your exclusive look at Veronica Leoni’s debut runway show for Calvin Klein Collection Fall 2025
In fashion, second chances are rare—but reinvention is a constant. The ever-revolving door of creative directors keeps the industry in perpetual motion, each new appointment poised to leave an indelible mark. The recent departure of Sabato De Sarno from Gucci underscores just how swiftly the tides can turn, making the role of today’s creative director as transient as it is pivotal. For some, stepping into the seat of a legacy house is a seamless transition, a mere continuation of a well-oiled machine. For others—like Calvin Klein Collection’s newly appointed Creative Director, Veronica Leoni—it’s an opportunity to redefine the very essence of a brand.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION
Leoni took the helm in May 2024, and in less than a year, announced Calvin Klein Collection’s highly anticipated return to New York Fashion Week after a six-year hiatus. The challenge was formidable: years of creative turnover had left the brand in an uncertain sense of self-identity. While the obvious route may have been to lean heavily on nostalgia, Leoni took a different approach—one rooted in reverence rather than replication. “I didn’t want to get stuck in something that focused too much on the past”, she stated. Instead, she sought inspiration from the archives without becoming beholden to them, crafting a vision that felt both contemporary and unmistakably Calvin Klein.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION
Ahead of the show, Leoni teased Calvin Klein’s new visual identity - represented through a standalone, stark image of a clothing label with Collection’s custom typeface, created to balance the classic and the modern, and one that reflected the soon-to-be-revealed design ethos of Leoni. “My goal is to define an ultimate and definitive expression of monumental minimalism and pureness through shape and craft, bringing Mr. Klein’s original vision and distinctive approach into the current day”, she explained.
That might sound ambitious, but Leoni’s pedigree speaks for itself. With a résumé spanning The Row, Jil Sander, and Céline—houses that have long drawn inspiration from Calvin Klein’s iconic 90s-era minimalism—her appointment felt like a full-circle moment. 
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION
On show day, the Calvin Klein namesake Collection brand made its grand return in a setting befitting its heritage: the brand’s longtime global headquarters at 205 West 39th Street, deep in the heart of New York City’s Garment District. The space, with its open floor carpeted runway and a striking display of the newly minted Collection logo, set the stage for a defining moment. The front row was a who's-who of Calvin Klein history—Kate Moss and Christy Turlington, faces of the brand’s most iconic campaigns. There were also a flurry of more recent friends of the brand, including Bad Bunny, FKA twigs, Simone Ashley, Georgia Fowler and Remix’ very own Steven Fernandez. 
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION
But the most significant attendee was none other than Calvin Klein himself, seated front and centre, ready to witness the next chapter of the empire he built. 
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION
The first model set the tone: a structured, high-neck black sheath dress—unapologetically sleek, unmistakably Calvin. The second look, a grey collarless jacket and pencil skirt, gave a subtle nod to 90s-era tailoring before the collection expanded into a range of refined wardrobe-essentials. Trenches, capes, blouses, shirts, suits, and dresses followed, each a study in minimalism reimagined through Leoni’s lens of empowered expression.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION
Leoni’s approach was meticulous, weaving three core silhouette themes throughout the collection: lean and narrow, loose and cropped, and draped and enveloping. These weren’t arbitrary choices; they reflected a deep understanding of the brand’s DNA. Hero pieces included the five-pocket trouser, square-toed flats, and a CK One bottle transformed into a clutch.
To the casual observer, the collection was a celebration of the new Calvin Klein identity. But look closer, and you’d see a designer who had done her homework—who understood the codes of the house and translated them into a vision for the present. The result? A collection that felt effortlessly wearable, whether tailored for the #corpcore movement or styled to channel an off-duty New York City slicker.
Calvin Klein never needed reinvention—only refinement. And with Leoni at the helm, the brand is once again poised to reclaim its place as a powerhouse of modern, sensual minimalism.
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