The journey Vera Leoni embarked on was not an easy one, one that is to change the color of the season from void into vibrant, all the while satisfying the current customer's discernment that what the company is selling is high standard rather than luxury under PVH. Much unlike the intellectual, high-culture approach used by Simons, Leoni rather chose a more approachable interpretation of the American wardrobe, based on the brand's DNA, but rethought with the more modern tones. For instance, he might have in mind the tartan T-shirts worn with well-cut jeans that hark back to Calvin Klein's historic country lines or the comeback for the year 2025.
The form of the designs, which Klein preferred simplicity and purification, often by far, got completely altered by Vera through the touch of layers and volume, whose combination of mismatches produced some success and failure. Being roomy with the spread of ornamentation took away from the sleekness of the silhouettes. The oversized sleeves and the multi-layered blanket appeared to be not only too much but also of specific impractical benefits. While the striking, without-a-doubt oversized fashion is the key theme of the season, the designers will find it hard to draw a line between fashion-forward and still-very-utilitarian—that is the one tension that resonated quite well in a few of the shows, and it was not poorly handled by K.
Yet there were also highlights. The attributes like outerwear and tailoring were listed along with the core strength, with long trenches and sharp, well-cut coats that managed to be at the same time first-rate.
Other diffusion lines would easily integrate these items to provide PVH with the opportunity to build the collection's style into its commercial ecosystem. There are liminal zones leading the way to the new collection line that raise the question of whether the advertising campaign should first base the imagery on the heritage and then continue its way on the same solitary road under the present situation—maybe even make a blend out of the nostalgic memory of the 1990s Calvin Klein with the new chic approach Leoni is pursuing.
The vast majority of the clients are in a happy mood about Calvin Klein Collection's return, while Leoni's debut acted as a strong base. Despite the need for some improvements—primarily in enabling a unique perspective and not exaggerating runway demeanor—most of the key elements are already in place. Thus, Leoni's future may be brighter than her predecessor's. However, her collection certainly gives a positive signal that Calvin Klein's high-fashion line is worth tracking for some time.