Calvin Klein Returns To The NYC Runway With Veronica Leoni’s Debut Collection for F/W25
After six years of showcasing its collections at intimate presentations, the all-American maison
When Calvin Klein left the New York Fashion Week show schedule in 2019, it didn’t go unnoticed. An icon of modern and minimalist American design, the show was always a palette cleanser to the schedule’s maximalist maisons. The house had presented its collections on the NYC runway since 1968, and now, after a six year hiatus from the catwalk, the all-American brand has returned to the runway, presenting its F/W25 collection under the watchful eye of its 82-year-old founder this week.
There was a palpable excitement surrounding the show – this would be Veronica Leoni’s debut for the brand as creative director, and it certainly brought out the big guns – Kate Moss and Christy Turlington were sitting front row, while Kendall Jenner, Binx Walton and Selena Forrest walked in the show. Veronica’s CV reads like an almost prophetic list of roles that would prepare her for such a moment, having held positions at Jil Sander, Céline under Phoebe Philo’s steer, and The Row. She is also notably the first ever female creative to lead the maison, so industry insiders were keen to see what could come next for one of America’s most recognisable brands.
With ‘monumental minimalism’ as its mantra, the collection explored the tension between purity and expressiveness. Always a meticulous master of sleek cuts and svelte silhouettes, the brand dabbled with texture and embellishment to bring restrained forms to life – think voluminous organza and fluid draping – all presented in a largely monochrome colour palette.
Materials mattered; from wool and cashmere to dry garbadine, twill, matte moleskin and brushed cotton, the collection had an urban edge, with many looks exploring new nuances of the brand’s signature neutrals, riffing on shades of granite, fudge, off-white and ecru.
Tailoring referenced the maison’s heyday of the 1990s, showcasing oversized silhouettes, collarless jackets and pencil skirts, along with trench coats and wrap-over tuxedos – the perfect investment pieces for any work wardrobe. The duality of each of these pieces was not lost upon stylists, who could already envisage mixing them with the brand’s legendary denim for off-duty downtime.
The collection was met with rapturous applause – notably earning the approval of the man himself – and seems to have set the tone for Veronica’s tenure at the helm. Her interpretation of the CK aesthetic felt intuitive, familiar, yet fresh – not bad, for a first foray.
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