Veronica Leoni leaves Calvin Klein after four collections
The designer who brought Calvin Klein Collection back to the runway will leave when her contract ends. A successor will follow "in due course".
Photo: Pew Nguyen / Pexels (Pexels License). Stock photo used for illustration; it is not from the event or brand in this story.
Veronica Leoni is leaving Calvin Klein. The American brand said on Thursday 15 October 2026 that she will step down as creative director of Calvin Klein Collection, its luxury line, when her current contract ends. New creative leadership will be named "in due course", the company said.
Global brand president David Savman thanked Leoni and said she had built "meaningful momentum" for Collection, which the brand still calls an important part of its long-term plans.
Four seasons in New York
The Rome-born designer was hired in May 2024 as the first woman to lead the Collection line, WWD reports. Her debut at New York Fashion Week in February 2025 brought Collection back to the runway after a break that began when Belgian designer Raf Simons left the brand in 2018.
Before Calvin Klein she worked at Jil Sander, Phoebe Philo's Céline, Moncler and The Row, and ran her own label, Quira, a 2023 LVMH Prize finalist. Her first show had mixed reviews. Vogue writes that some critics found her work too complicated for a brand known for '90s minimalism. Her fourth and final collection, for spring 2027, was her best received, according to Vogue. WWD reports, citing analytics firm ListenFirst, that the brand also came first for social media engagement at New York Fashion Week in September.
The background
The departure confirms months of rumours, according to WWD and FashionNetwork. WWD notes that none of the stores it surveyed during New York Fashion Week named Calvin Klein among their favourite collections, and that Calvin Klein revenue fell 7 percent in the second quarter. Retail consultant Robert Burke told WWD that she was improving "but better isn't enough".
Why it matters
Leoni's exit adds to a busy season of designer changes, on the same day McQueen announced Seán McGirr's departure. Her clean, '90s-inspired lines are still a strong reference point for a calm, minimal wardrobe in neutral colours.
Source
Original reporting: WWD.
Also reported by: Vogue, BoF, FashionNetwork, The Guardian (2018, Raf Simons).
This is a short summary in our own words. Names and facts are as reported by the sources above; Wardrobe Compass has no commercial relationship with the brands mentioned.
