Veronica Leoni leaves Calvin Klein after four seasons as creative director of Calvin Klein Collection, the brand confirmed on Thursday, 15 October 2026. The Rome-born designer, who brought Calvin Klein back to the New York runway after a seven-year break and became the first woman to lead its luxury line, will depart at the end of her current contract. No successor has been named; Calvin Klein says it will announce new Collection creative leadership "in due course." The news arrived on the same day McQueen confirmed Seán McGirr's exit, adding another empty chair to an already busy season of designer moves.

What Calvin Klein said about Veronica Leoni's exit

The official statement was gracious. "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."

The brand stressed that Collection "remains an important part of Calvin Klein's long-term strategy and the pinnacle expression of the brand," according to Vogue. WWD reports that speculation had been circulating for months that her contract would not be renewed, and Thursday's announcement confirmed it.

Veronica Leoni at Calvin Klein: a timeline

May 2024: the appointment

Leoni was named creative director of Calvin Klein Collection in May 2024. She was hired by then-global brand president Eva Serrano, who left the company in May 2025, just three months after Leoni's debut. Serrano was succeeded by Savman.

February 2025: the return to the runway

Her first show, for fall 2025 at New York Fashion Week, marked Calvin Klein's return to the runway after a seven-year absence following Raf Simons' exit in 2018. It was one of the most anticipated New York shows in years. WWD recalls that Calvin Klein himself sat in the front row with Kelly Klein, Kate Moss and Christy Turlington, and later said: "I loved it. I loved the coats. I started in coats, and I thought they were so dramatic and inventive and architectural."

Spring 2026 and spring 2027

Reviews were mixed at first. Vogue notes that critics found some of her work overcomplicated for a label best known for '90s minimalism and blue jeans. But WWD called her spring 2026 collection a "standout," and described spring 2027, shown in September, as "distinctively more evolved and elevated in fabric and silhouette, centering firmly around the founder's rich '90s sportswear and minimalist archive." Vogue agrees that her final show was a step towards simplification and her best-received of the four.

Why is Veronica Leoni leaving if the reviews improved?

This is the question the industry is asking. The buzz was real: WWD cites social analytics firm ListenFirst, which ranked Calvin Klein first for social engagement during New York Fashion Week, with a spring 2027 engagement score of 15.3 million, up 552 per cent on the previous February. The front row included Rosalía, Teyana Taylor, Sadie Sink, Tate McRae, Pamela Anderson, Katie Holmes, Gemma Chan and Emily Ratajkowski.

Retail, however, is a different story. WWD reports that none of the stores it surveyed listed Calvin Klein among their favourite collections during the latest New York Fashion Week. Consultant Robert Burke told WWD that Collection needs to be "exceptional and not just good," adding: "The biggest indicator is that the retailers never responded to it."

The wider business also matters. Calvin Klein's revenues fell 7 per cent to $913.3 million in the second quarter, according to WWD, which notes that parent company PVH attributed part of the drop to the timing of wholesale shipments in the Americas. PVH is steering Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger through a broader turnaround plan, and Collection is meant to be the halo above a business built largely on denim, underwear and celebrity campaigns.

Who is Veronica Leoni?

Before Calvin Klein, Leoni built a résumé at some of fashion's most respected minimalist houses: Jil Sander, Phoebe Philo's Céline, Moncler and The Row, where WWD says she was womenswear and menswear design director. In 2021 she launched her own label, Quira, which became a finalist for the LVMH Prize in 2023 and was put on pause when she took the Calvin Klein job. Vogue closes its report with a hopeful note: perhaps Quira will get another go.

Industry figures were quick to defend her. Retail consultant Julie Gilhart told WWD she was "saddened that someone as talented as Veronica Leoni will no longer be at Calvin Klein," adding that "talent needs time to evolve; there is no plug-and-play."

What it means for Calvin Klein Collection

Calvin Klein Collection has had only a handful of creative leaders since the founder retired in 2003: Francisco Costa, Raf Simons (who rebranded it as Calvin Klein 205W39NYC) and now Leoni. After Simons left, the brand stepped off the runway entirely. The company insists that will not happen again, saying Collection remains its "pinnacle expression." Whoever comes next inherits a line with renewed attention but limited store presence, and a famously demanding archive.

FAQ

When does Veronica Leoni leave Calvin Klein?

Calvin Klein says she will depart at the end of her current contract. The brand has not given an exact date.

Who will replace Veronica Leoni at Calvin Klein?

No successor has been announced. Calvin Klein says new Collection creative leadership will be revealed in due course.

How many collections did Veronica Leoni design for Calvin Klein?

Four runway seasons, from her fall 2025 debut in February 2025 to spring 2027, shown in September 2026.

More designer moves this month

Read why Seán McGirr is leaving McQueen at https://thecoverissue.com/sean-mcgirr-leaves-mcqueen — and for a recent Calvin Klein red-carpet moment, see the custom wedding dresses Giulia Be wore to marry Conor Kennedy at https://thecoverissue.com/giulia-be-conor-kennedy-wedding-dresses-calvin-klein-harris-reed.