VERONICA Leoni delivered a lesson in quiet sensuality as Calvin Klein unveiled its Autumn/ Winter 2026 collection at The Shed in New York City. Under Leoni’s creative direction, the house sharpened its enduring focus on the human form into something understated and purposeful.
“This season was formed by an investigation of Calvin Klein’s strong history of iconography and a rigorous exploration of shape, craft and meaningful simplification,” Leoni said, describing a desire to express elegance in the controlled spirit of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
That discipline was immediately apparent. Silhouettes were tall and linear, slim tailoring cut close to the body, occasionally breaking into unexpected backless and sleeveless cuts. Dresses, densely constructed from the front, dissolved into plainer backs revealing their underpinnings. The tension between concealment and exposure felt deliberate – seductiveness was sharpened by restraint.
Denim, first introduced on the Calvin Klein runway in 1976, returned as a full suit layered beneath slender coats. The original longhand logo surfaced on an aviator jacket and checked trench coat, while biker collars added a rough edge and shearling collars suggested grandeur.
The colour palette was muted: chalk, charcoal and camel were occasionally lit by tangerine or burgundy. Dry wools, ribbed jersey, bonded satin and liquid velvet emphasised the dialogue between fabric and skin.
Among those in attendance were JENNIE, Dakota Johnson, Brooke Shields and Lily Collins. With Fall 2026, Calvin Klein reaffirmed that minimalism, when executed with precision, can still feel radical.
by Catherine Rowe-Kosary