The new Calvin Klein looks a lot like the former Calvin Klein

We have all traveled scintillating images of the 90s on the side of the Instagram moodboard: Kate Moss in a dress to slightly slide, Lauren Hutton carrying a coveted coat, or Linda Evangelista posing at the end of a track in clear adaptation. And many of these emblematic photos would not exist without the American creator of sportswear Calvin Klein.

The Calvin Klein brand archives are as large as it is deep. Founded in 1968, the label defined the minimalism of the 90s to its peak, while its namesake perfected its mixture of sensuality and restraint. All the knittings, the sheaths and the chic and chic separations, the clothes were synonymous with the large models that wore them: Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Christy Turlington. In particular, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, the Queen of the discreet style of New York, worked as an advertiser for Calvin Klein before marrying John F. Kennedy Jr. in 1996.

Today, however, the brand is probably the most associated with its stacked list of celebrity ambassadors (and a certain AB display panel with Jeremy Allen White). Since designer Raf Simons, who is now in Prada, has made a visit to the brand six years ago, the company has focused more on the sale of underwear than fashion with an “F.” The end of luxury of the company, nicknamed the 205W39NYC line by Simons, was abandoned in 2019, and the company has not shown in fashion since.

Everything changed, however, with the appointment of Veronica Leoni as creative director last May. A former student of the row, Céline under Phoebe Philo, and Jil Sander, Luxury Bonafides of the Creator reported a return to serious clothes at a serious price for Calvin Klein – not just pretty living room and boxer sets. A start to the track seemed inevitable.

On February 7, New York obtained exactly that when Leoni’s first collection appeared at Calvin Klein’s longtime headquarters at 205 West 39th Street in the clothing district. “As a designer, I have always been deeply inspired by Calvin Klein, and the chance to write this next chapter for the brand is a unique opportunity,” Leoni said in a press release. “My objective is to define an ultimate and definitive expression of minimalism and monumental purity through form and crafts, bringing the original vision of Mr. Klein and the distinctive approach these days.”

The fact that this new collection of Leoni is based strongly on the brand’s archives is easily visible. A series of sumptuously oversized scarf coats spoke of Klein’s “chic parka” in 1990. Vests and combinations of body skirt returned to the easy adaptation of the time. Tomato red, gray dove and black have been struck with shades of cream (these are all shades that Mr. Klein loved), and a gold length gold dress recalled a mini Cindy crawford modeled in 1991 . The shoes also touched the past – Sleek Mules stylized throughout the show was almost a direct reissue of the 1999 Line collection.

An impeccably dressed first row has also obtained the minimalism note. The small sexy sunglasses of Bad Bunny, a relaxed suit (worn with a t-shirt below), and a baseball cap remembered the destroyed charm of the style of the 90s of JFK Jr. The sculpted loop dress of Simone Ashley Has headed for a strapless number modeled by Kate Moss. And Greta Lee looked like the daughter of the 90s in a reflective sheath issue.

The details of this new brand identity (or rather old -fashioned) highlight the nostalgic vision of Loeni. The Calvin Klein 2025 collector’s collectors are delivered with a label sewed from a personalized Roman font that used buyers could confuse with a vintage label. Loeni also reinvented the best -selling CK One perfume bottle (launched in 1994) as a cheeky little clutch.

References to what Leoni clearly considers the brand’s peak was everywhere. However, if this collection is an improvement compared to the original remains to be seen. You can, after all, buy Calvin Klein Vintage on the real real or cloakroom collective. And while the looks presented in these beginnings are both high and portable (which does not want a coat like that modeled by Kendall Jenner in Look 3?), The brand has a competition in lines like the line, the Khaite And the toteme, which offer a luxury limited in a similar way at several prices.

The 2025 collection also did not entirely captured Calvin Klein’s energy from the 90s. Of course, it was not a hot display panel in Times Square, but it was not quite Kate Moss In a sliding dress, either. The assortment lacked part of the sex appeal and the nonchalance of his predecessors. There is a certain lack of pretension in CK of the 1990s which made the original so coveted, and Loeni’s drawings are aware of their sophistication.

This raises the question: do people need another furtively rich collection in 2025? And do they want Calvin Klein? This remains to be seen. But in terms of vision, this is a refined start rightly.