After six years without a head designer, Calvin Klein has finally met its match in the form of Veronica Leoni. Today, the fashion house named Leoni the new director at Calvin Klein Collection, which has us suspecting the brand may return to the runway. "We are proud to name Veronica as Creative Director of Collection, the pinnacle expression of the Calvin Klein brand," says Global Brand President Eva Serrano in a statement. "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."
While Leoni isn't in industry headlines every day, the creative force has quite the résumé to back up all of the hype. Based in Rome, the LVMH Prize finalist currently serves as head of her now three-year-old label Quira and is a veteran of Jil Sander, Phoebe Philo's Celine, Moncler and The Row. Her forthcoming collection with Calvin Klein will debut in Fall 2025, including men's and women's apparel, underwear and accessories.
Leoni's minimalist aesthetic and elevated approach to tailoring makes her the right person for Calvin Klein since the brand had a similar signature during the founder's reign in the 90s. Her appointment is also a refreshing change for the industry since most creative directors are male.
"I'm thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to write a new chapter of the Calvin Klein story," says Leoni. "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. 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."