Dive Brief:
- Calvin Klein Inc. has named Veronica Leoni creative director of Calvin Klein Collection, holding company PVH Corp. announced in a press release Thursday. The line, which was put on pause in 2019, is returning to the runway.
- Leoni, founder and creative director of fashion brand Quira, previously worked for Jil Sander, Céline, Moncler and The Row. In her new role, she will report to Eva Serrano, Calvin Klein global brand president.
- Calvin Klein Collection will include men’s and women’s apparel, underwear and accessories and is set to debut in fall 2025.
Dive Insight:
The news comes as holding company PVH works to reposition both Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger for growth by boosting brand loyalty and consumer desirability. The PVH+ plan also includes the divestment of some of the company’s other assets, including part of its Heritage Brands business, and is intended to help the company reach $12.5 billion in revenue by 2025.
Serrano called Calvin Klein Collection “the pinnacle expression” of Calvin Klein, and further said Leoni had the opportunity to define a new era of the 56-year-old brand.
PVH said Leoni would merge her industry experience with “the modern aesthetic of Calvin Klein to design the ultimate representation of the brand.” It additionally said Leoni and Serrano would work together to “bring inspiration from Collection to the mainline portfolio and the red carpet.”
“I’m thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to write a new chapter of the Calvin Klein story,” Leoni said. “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.”
The company called Leoni’s hire “one of the most important in a series of strategic steps that Calvin Klein has taken under Serrano’s leadership to uphold the legacy of the Calvin Klein brand and inspire the next generation of consumers.”
The Calvin Klein brand has seen revenue increases the last three consecutive quarters, particularly thanks to its international business. Its sales in North America declined each quarter of its 2023 fiscal year, which the company attributed to wholesale.
Overall, PVH finished its last fiscal year with $9.22 billion in total revenue, a 2% year-over-year increase. The company is anticipating a 6% to 7% revenue decrease in its 2024 fiscal year. The company will release Q1 earnings results next week.
