NEW YORK — Seven years after it was discontinued with the ouster of Raf Simons, Calvin Klein’s high-end “Collection” line returned to the catwalk on Friday under the stewardship of Veronica Leoni.
Her hotly anticipated debut for the American mega-label unfolded at the 205 West 39th Street office where Calvin himself — in the audience along with brand icons Christy Turlington and Kate Moss — used to show back in the day. Indeed, everything about the show, from the spare set to the bare-faced American beauties on the catwalk, aimed to reconnect the label to what Calvin did.
“My aim was to erase everything that has been done after he left, and restart like it was the first day,” said Leoni backstage, insisting that the approach wasn’t nostalgic but “about looking forward” — in other words picking up where Calvin left off.
The result was an assured outing that expressed a wider breadth of possibilities and style declinations for a brand that can easily be pigeon-holed into a minimalist formula. Leoni’s talent is the ability to charge the language of reduction — in which she is well versed, having worked with minimalist masters such as Jil Sander and Phoebe Philo — with a sensuality that is perfectly attuned to the Calvin ethos.
“What I am good at is making clothes, and that’s what we focused on,” said Leoni, matter-of-factly. And the faultless drape of the tailoring, the flow of the dresses and the pajama-like slouch of the easier pieces were certainly testament to that.
Truth be told: among the slinky slip dresses and killer skirt suits (looking fresh for the first time since Working Girl), a hint of Yohji-inflected “fashion nun” crept into the affair. But that’s understandable, given Leoni’s role in fine-tuning The Row with the Olsens.
The collection’s American vibe — seen in the straightforwardness of the checked shirt and jeans ensembles and her focus on characters like the college student and the bombshell — was new to her work. And if a bit of nostalgia was inescapable, Leoni’s point of view felt clear. Onwards.