You took the words out of my mouth. These clothes feel like Zara collection and mimic the existing, they do not inspire a fresh way of dressing. They feel dated, sexless, and boring - luxury has not figured out to get their clients back, they need to surprise them. They don’t want The Row everywhere they go.
Totally! I love The Row and it's where I started my career, but the desire for so many brands to try and look like it is short-sighted. It's led to so much sameness across the industry with no compelling reason to buy.
I love The Row and I will go to buy it from them (and Cos 🤣) when I’m looking for it. But I want something fresh! So sick of the homogenized merchandising mix we are dealing with - I love clothes, but there are so many available and yet nothing worth buying these days.
I would love something fresh too! That's such a big part of why this CK collection was a stumble. There is real opportunity there, but Veronica didn't take it.
I feel that many customers are yearning for sexy, sophisticated clothes. Why spend all that time at Soul Cycle to wear a lump of fabric? I loved reading your perspective.
Thank you for reading! The old Calvin customer would never stand for clothes as messy as these. There's a real chance to update the brand, but Leoni doesn't seem up to the task so far.
I couldn't agree more. Why on earth do exactly what everyone else is doing or has already done? Where is the imagination and creativity? The colors were so drab on top of everything. The Calvin of the 70s or 80s feels so right to me now; what a missed opportunity.
A real shame. That brand means so much to me, as I'm sure it does to many people, and I want it to succeed – but this just isn't the way. And you're so right, the colors were lifeless!
Great read and so informative about things I hadn’t considered. My friend and I were just discussing how we were much more interested in the guests at the show and the photos of the event as opposed to the runway & collection itself.
Definitely agree! I included the note about noticing the guests/images to speak to the possibly lacklustre collection for some. Normally I’m not bothered re guests and front of house, and usually it doesn’t come up with friends so just thought it was interesting here.
Yes, maybe it’s just age but the star sighting used to be exciting. They feel like the charm of a medical device convention now. I guess one has to accept change.
Definitely feels disjointed and sloppy, which is sad. I want to give her time though, mainly bcs I really want it to work!! I do think there is a shift happening rn away from the clean minimal but largely sexless style towards a more erotic/sexy vibe, eg a collective shift away from the row’s direction (that I still personally love but certainly doesn’t feel new atm) which *can* be romantic but is intentionally *not* erotic, to say phoebe philo’s line which makes such a point in their marketing towards confidence/awareness of one’s body & v. intentional eroticism. So the lack of sexiness here really seems to date the collection before it’s even out the door - on TOP of ignoring that it’s a keystone of Calvin as you point out!!
I would love for it to work too! I completely agree that there's something about The Row's sexless aesthetic that is starting to feel less fresh. I really wish that the designers out there would understand that there are so many ways to be minimal.
These don't feel like a coherent story - I like a few pieces here and they, but they don't have any real personality or flair. They certainly don't read as Calvin. That grey suit is just sad. The menswear is boring!
Martin, as always, thank you for your fashion discussions and deep dives!
Spot on! Completely incoherent and disjointed. Only a small handful of these pieces even remotely read as Calvin to me, but even they are so poorly done they don't even count. Calvin used to make simplicity sumptuous and this is all just so tired. Thank you for engaging with your thoughtful commentary as always!
Your excitement and optimism for the collection and what it could have been, was so contagious. Thank you for sharing with us despite what the lackluster reality ended up being. I hope the disappointment isn’t sitting too heavily with you.
This piece gets to the heart of what made Calvin Klein an institution in the first place — the raw, unfiltered sensuality that blurred the line between fashion and desire. And yet, watching Leoni’s debut, just like you, Martin, I couldn’t help but feel like we were witnessing a brand caught in an identity crisis. The absence of Klein’s signature erotic minimalism is more than a creative misstep. It’s a failure to grasp why the brand mattered in the first place.
The ‘90s Klein DNA — clean, carnal, effortlessly cool — has been strip-mined by everyone from The Row to COS, leaving little left to excavate. And Leoni, rather than recalibrating or reinterpreting, seems to have fallen into the same cycle of derivative nostalgia. That’s the real issue here. The moment called for reinvention, for a fresh perspective on sensuality in 2024, and instead, we got a diluted rehash of styles that already feel overexposed.
The comparison to The Row is particularly damning because, unlike Klein, The Row thrives on an intellectualised asceticism — it’s luxury for those who want to whisper rather than seduce. Klein was never about whispering. Even in its most refined moments, there was always a pulse, a smoldering confidence. If Leoni can’t find that pulse, this relaunch is already dead in the water.
Sex in fashion isn’t dead, but this collection suggests Klein’s ability to channel it might be. And if Klein can’t be sexy, what exactly is it bringing to the table?!
And what's so odd is that the nostalgia has very little to do with Klein's work, and what does is a rehash of the same five-year period that every other brand has scraped down to the bone. There doesn't feel like there's any reason for Leoni's version of the brand to exist: it doesn't fill any gaps in the market; is not creative, new or special; does not have superior fit or quality. I really hope the team is taking in the almost unanimous criticism leveled at the show to try and find a better way.
Precisely! The nostalgia feels like a lazy algorithm-generated mood board rather than an intentional creative vision.
What’s its purpose? If it’s not redefining minimalism, innovating in fit or fabric, or even owning a fresh perspective on sex appeal, then why should anyone care? The market is already saturated with better executions of this aesthetic. If all they’re doing is recycling 90s and early-2000s tropes without the soul that made them iconic in the first place, then this “new” CK is just a brand cosplaying its former self. And bad cosplay, at that.
All I could think of when I looked at this collection was “why doesn’t clothing fit bodies anymore?” I’d seriously spend my hard won $$ on something exquisitely tailored. Calvin Klein used to be the best Carolyn Bessette-style 90s minimalism. This is just a mess with no coherent message or perspective.
well... this was a complete bust. as someone who worked at Calvin in the late 80's to early 90's, the collection was created to eventually trickle down to ck sport, ck jeans and eventually the renamed CK. However, the collection stood alone on it's own. it was sought after. it sold. AT RETAIL. It was Calvin, (via Zac Carr), but it always stood for sexy, strong women. period. this "collection" is a disaster and yes PVH did publicly say their goal was for this to trickle down for the mass nonsense that they sell now. Better try again. this will not be your savior. as others have commented, this collection can be found anywhere, both high and low. Sadly, no one needs to buy it from Calvin Klein, now.
The other CK veterans I've communicated with today feel the same way. There really does seem to be general consensus that this was a flop. I just don't know if PVH suits/Veronica will know how to course correct. Veronica told Cathy Horyn she thought there was room for another minimalist brand because she doesn't feel all of the other players are sophisticated enough – and yet she wasn't able to muster any sophistication here. The trickle down theory is wild at this point considering CK doesn't really make any quality product anymore. PVH would have to overhaul the entire company to make that work at this point and they're never going to do that. Wild.
I’m fascinated by CK before he sold it to PVH. It had such incredible, precise branding and vision. To me, those Meisel and Weber ads in the 90s are still the height of sophistication. What was it like to work there back then?
The sale to PVH really did mark a significant change and mirrored the way fashion was becoming more corporate in general. Calvin led with taste and that's something almost no corporate entity puts any value in.
I might be the only one in the comments here who loved the entire show and I still found your post extremely interesting! Loved the background information and I understand that you don’t like that there is hardly any newness or sexiness to the pieces. However, I do think that there’s been a consistency within the looks and it contained a lot of ideas that fashion needs right now.
Of course! I think the simple silhouettes and colors resonated with me because in those challenging and fast times, anything that doesn’t really distract me seems so appealing. In a world where fashion is becoming more of like a show-act also in real life through social media etc - and also faster, a more relatable fashion show like this feels very right.
You took the words out of my mouth. These clothes feel like Zara collection and mimic the existing, they do not inspire a fresh way of dressing. They feel dated, sexless, and boring - luxury has not figured out to get their clients back, they need to surprise them. They don’t want The Row everywhere they go.
Totally! I love The Row and it's where I started my career, but the desire for so many brands to try and look like it is short-sighted. It's led to so much sameness across the industry with no compelling reason to buy.
I love The Row and I will go to buy it from them (and Cos 🤣) when I’m looking for it. But I want something fresh! So sick of the homogenized merchandising mix we are dealing with - I love clothes, but there are so many available and yet nothing worth buying these days.
I would love something fresh too! That's such a big part of why this CK collection was a stumble. There is real opportunity there, but Veronica didn't take it.
I feel that many customers are yearning for sexy, sophisticated clothes. Why spend all that time at Soul Cycle to wear a lump of fabric? I loved reading your perspective.
Thank you for reading! The old Calvin customer would never stand for clothes as messy as these. There's a real chance to update the brand, but Leoni doesn't seem up to the task so far.
I couldn't agree more. Why on earth do exactly what everyone else is doing or has already done? Where is the imagination and creativity? The colors were so drab on top of everything. The Calvin of the 70s or 80s feels so right to me now; what a missed opportunity.
A real shame. That brand means so much to me, as I'm sure it does to many people, and I want it to succeed – but this just isn't the way. And you're so right, the colors were lifeless!
Thank you Martin. The most beautiful thing about this show to me was seeing Christy Turlington and Kate Moss hug.
Yes, that was magical!
Blah & kind of sad! The 1st thing I noticed was how unsexy the clothes were!
Very sad and unsexy!
Great read and so informative about things I hadn’t considered. My friend and I were just discussing how we were much more interested in the guests at the show and the photos of the event as opposed to the runway & collection itself.
Thank you for reading! I'm sure the amount of money PVH shelled out to have those guests show up is considerable!
Its sad its become more about the front of the house than the show.
completely agree, however it was nice to see Christy there with her daughter Grace.
Very true! I don’t think I have seen Grace as an adult. Beautiful young woman. Always loved Christy. She is the most intelligent, ethereal beauty.
Definitely agree! I included the note about noticing the guests/images to speak to the possibly lacklustre collection for some. Normally I’m not bothered re guests and front of house, and usually it doesn’t come up with friends so just thought it was interesting here.
Yes, maybe it’s just age but the star sighting used to be exciting. They feel like the charm of a medical device convention now. I guess one has to accept change.
God this “collection” was so unmemorable and boring
Absolutely. And beyond being boring, it was just plain old bad and ill conceived in my view, which is even worse.
Definitely feels disjointed and sloppy, which is sad. I want to give her time though, mainly bcs I really want it to work!! I do think there is a shift happening rn away from the clean minimal but largely sexless style towards a more erotic/sexy vibe, eg a collective shift away from the row’s direction (that I still personally love but certainly doesn’t feel new atm) which *can* be romantic but is intentionally *not* erotic, to say phoebe philo’s line which makes such a point in their marketing towards confidence/awareness of one’s body & v. intentional eroticism. So the lack of sexiness here really seems to date the collection before it’s even out the door - on TOP of ignoring that it’s a keystone of Calvin as you point out!!
I would love for it to work too! I completely agree that there's something about The Row's sexless aesthetic that is starting to feel less fresh. I really wish that the designers out there would understand that there are so many ways to be minimal.
These don't feel like a coherent story - I like a few pieces here and they, but they don't have any real personality or flair. They certainly don't read as Calvin. That grey suit is just sad. The menswear is boring!
Martin, as always, thank you for your fashion discussions and deep dives!
Spot on! Completely incoherent and disjointed. Only a small handful of these pieces even remotely read as Calvin to me, but even they are so poorly done they don't even count. Calvin used to make simplicity sumptuous and this is all just so tired. Thank you for engaging with your thoughtful commentary as always!
Sooooo disappointing!
Your excitement and optimism for the collection and what it could have been, was so contagious. Thank you for sharing with us despite what the lackluster reality ended up being. I hope the disappointment isn’t sitting too heavily with you.
That's very kind! I'm disappointed, but I'm really rooting for a turnaround, in one form or another.
This piece gets to the heart of what made Calvin Klein an institution in the first place — the raw, unfiltered sensuality that blurred the line between fashion and desire. And yet, watching Leoni’s debut, just like you, Martin, I couldn’t help but feel like we were witnessing a brand caught in an identity crisis. The absence of Klein’s signature erotic minimalism is more than a creative misstep. It’s a failure to grasp why the brand mattered in the first place.
The ‘90s Klein DNA — clean, carnal, effortlessly cool — has been strip-mined by everyone from The Row to COS, leaving little left to excavate. And Leoni, rather than recalibrating or reinterpreting, seems to have fallen into the same cycle of derivative nostalgia. That’s the real issue here. The moment called for reinvention, for a fresh perspective on sensuality in 2024, and instead, we got a diluted rehash of styles that already feel overexposed.
The comparison to The Row is particularly damning because, unlike Klein, The Row thrives on an intellectualised asceticism — it’s luxury for those who want to whisper rather than seduce. Klein was never about whispering. Even in its most refined moments, there was always a pulse, a smoldering confidence. If Leoni can’t find that pulse, this relaunch is already dead in the water.
Sex in fashion isn’t dead, but this collection suggests Klein’s ability to channel it might be. And if Klein can’t be sexy, what exactly is it bringing to the table?!
And what's so odd is that the nostalgia has very little to do with Klein's work, and what does is a rehash of the same five-year period that every other brand has scraped down to the bone. There doesn't feel like there's any reason for Leoni's version of the brand to exist: it doesn't fill any gaps in the market; is not creative, new or special; does not have superior fit or quality. I really hope the team is taking in the almost unanimous criticism leveled at the show to try and find a better way.
Precisely! The nostalgia feels like a lazy algorithm-generated mood board rather than an intentional creative vision.
What’s its purpose? If it’s not redefining minimalism, innovating in fit or fabric, or even owning a fresh perspective on sex appeal, then why should anyone care? The market is already saturated with better executions of this aesthetic. If all they’re doing is recycling 90s and early-2000s tropes without the soul that made them iconic in the first place, then this “new” CK is just a brand cosplaying its former self. And bad cosplay, at that.
All I could think of when I looked at this collection was “why doesn’t clothing fit bodies anymore?” I’d seriously spend my hard won $$ on something exquisitely tailored. Calvin Klein used to be the best Carolyn Bessette-style 90s minimalism. This is just a mess with no coherent message or perspective.
It’s a shame that so few brands invest getting the fit right. People do really notice.
The tailoring on the look in the hero image ALONE is TRAGIQUE. It feels like And Other Stories rejects.
Lol spot on! And what makes the bad tailoring especially criminal is that Calvin IS a master tailor who always made precision a point of pride.
well... this was a complete bust. as someone who worked at Calvin in the late 80's to early 90's, the collection was created to eventually trickle down to ck sport, ck jeans and eventually the renamed CK. However, the collection stood alone on it's own. it was sought after. it sold. AT RETAIL. It was Calvin, (via Zac Carr), but it always stood for sexy, strong women. period. this "collection" is a disaster and yes PVH did publicly say their goal was for this to trickle down for the mass nonsense that they sell now. Better try again. this will not be your savior. as others have commented, this collection can be found anywhere, both high and low. Sadly, no one needs to buy it from Calvin Klein, now.
The other CK veterans I've communicated with today feel the same way. There really does seem to be general consensus that this was a flop. I just don't know if PVH suits/Veronica will know how to course correct. Veronica told Cathy Horyn she thought there was room for another minimalist brand because she doesn't feel all of the other players are sophisticated enough – and yet she wasn't able to muster any sophistication here. The trickle down theory is wild at this point considering CK doesn't really make any quality product anymore. PVH would have to overhaul the entire company to make that work at this point and they're never going to do that. Wild.
I’m fascinated by CK before he sold it to PVH. It had such incredible, precise branding and vision. To me, those Meisel and Weber ads in the 90s are still the height of sophistication. What was it like to work there back then?
The sale to PVH really did mark a significant change and mirrored the way fashion was becoming more corporate in general. Calvin led with taste and that's something almost no corporate entity puts any value in.
I might be the only one in the comments here who loved the entire show and I still found your post extremely interesting! Loved the background information and I understand that you don’t like that there is hardly any newness or sexiness to the pieces. However, I do think that there’s been a consistency within the looks and it contained a lot of ideas that fashion needs right now.
I appreciate you being so receptive to different perspectives! What elements of the show resonated most for you?
Of course! I think the simple silhouettes and colors resonated with me because in those challenging and fast times, anything that doesn’t really distract me seems so appealing. In a world where fashion is becoming more of like a show-act also in real life through social media etc - and also faster, a more relatable fashion show like this feels very right.