It was a double whammy of fashion departures on Thursday.
First, Calvin Klein announced that Veronica Leoni was out as the creative director of its Collections line. Less than an hour later, news hit that Seán McGirr was exiting Alexander McQueen.
Their stints were brief: Leoni was at Calvin for just two years and four collections; McGirr lasted only a year longer than that. And they both received brutal reviews, especially Leoni, whose fall 2026 collection faced some of the most direct criticism I can recall. (My colleague Vanessa Friedman called it, plainly, a mistake.) Both also seemed unable to make clothes that penetrated commercially.
But that’s now the past! And once again, in this moment of nonstop exits and entrances at the world’s largest luxury brands, we have two open seats. So Vanessa and I decided to do a bit of wish-casting and discuss who might be a good fit for these brands, starting with Calvin.
VANESSA FRIEDMAN: Nineties-era Calvin is still riding a post-“Love Story” wave. The combination of minimalism, sex and sportswear it originally embodied seems very relevant at the moment. In fact, it’s influenced a number of designers who made the biggest splashes in recent seasons. I’m thinking of Dario Vitale’s down-and-dirty take on luxury at Versace. If he hadn’t just landed at Emporio Armani, he’d get my vote for the Calvin job — and Eckhaus Latta, whose show was the hit of New York Fashion Week for me.
JACOB GALLAGHER: Yes to Eckhaus. I’d also suggest Eli Russell Linnetz. He would get the image side of Calvin right. With his own label, ERL, and in shoots he’s done for Guess and GQ, he’s nailed that blend of bright-eyed American optimism with something more risqué lurking underneath. His clothes feel youthful in ways that Calvin needs.
VANESSA: ERL would be more of a wild card. But Calvin, like many current luxury brands, could benefit from some out-of-the-box thinking. Frances Howie, the creative director of Fforme, who often does her own version of ur-Carolyn Bessette Kennedy Calvin, could be an interesting choice. Too many designers who take on heritage houses spend too much time buried in the archives, remaking hits of the past.
JACOB: We keep seeing these creative directorships stall at the starting line — too caught between a new designer’s ambition and a brand’s existing image. I’d love to see someone try a more radical reset. Although that’s kind of what Raf Simons tried when he took over Calvin in 2016, and that didn’t exactly work.
VANESSA: I’d argue Simons did what he was hired to do, but it scared the bejeezus out of CK’s corporate overlords. Change in fashion requires an appetite for risk that many stewards of public companies don’t have. But without creative risk we just have a lot of camel coats. Which brings us to McGirr leaving McQueen. Another one bites the dust! What do you think should happen there?
JACOB: Gosh. Can I say they should mothball McQueen? Do we need this many brands? But if they want to keep it, how about something outta left field: Chopova Lowena, a London-based brand that has a very defined look, and a track record for minting a hero product with those carabiner skirts. It would be the type of swerve McQueen needs. Step out from the shadows of Lee and Sarah Burton! Make people forget about those marshmallow-soled sneakers!
VANESSA: I would be there for Chopova Lowena. Though, as with Eckhaus Latta, I also think perhaps it might be better in the long run for them to stick to their guns — and use their fashion voices to their own ends. And maybe it’s time for groups to start supporting designers in their own brands, rather than trying to shoehorn them into pre-existing molds.
Other things worth knowing about:
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I’ve been hearing some good things about “The 90s: Art and Fashion,” the new exhibit at the Tate Britain curated by Edward Enninful. (Though, The Guardian torched it.) I also wish I was in London to see the new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from Tim Walker, one of the great fashion photographers from the ’90s onward.
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Every Stanley Kubrick film ever, now in one convenient (if heavy) box. Out next Tuesday.
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Outline, one of the best stores in New York — without e-commerce — has released its fall catalog. Friend of The Fashions Adrienne Raphel put together some word puzzles for this edition.
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Totokaelo is back. Kinda? Not really. The beloved New York-by-way-of-Seattle boutique that folded early in the pandemic has resurfaced online as ttklo.com. The site is bare bones with links to nowhere, and Totokaelo now appears to be running as either a resale business or an overstock offloader. Ventured Brands, a company that also owns companies like Ralph & Russo and Paco Jeans, now lists Totokaelo in its portfolio. I’m in touch with Ventured and will share more when I get it, but if you know anymore about zombie Totokaelo, send me an email.
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My colleague Sandra Garcia passed along this fan account’s roundup of Julianne Moore’s recent outfits. I especially love that pullover anorak she’s wearing in the sixth slide — and that Moore herself commented on the post. Reassuring to know that celebrities are also poring over their tagged photos.
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And thank you to all the readers who wrote in after Tuesday’s newsletter to chide us for failing to mention the mighty bra-as-shirt pioneer: Sue Ellen Mischke on “Seinfeld.” We regret this oversight.
What we’re reading, watching and listening to:
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“Waymo’s artificially intelligent cars hum into view like two-ton rolling Rorschach tests.” Molly Fischer on the weirdness of the driverless car.
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“Girls”! Again! (Was Styles too early in covering the “Girls” rewatch phenomenon in 2023?)
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Pablo Torre investigates the biggest story of the century.
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Is this your dream living arrangement?
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This is simple PEMDAS: “Challengers” x “Heated Rivalry” + a Beckham
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Illness not as metaphor: “It’s crazy how someone can feel so at home in a body that’s about to fail. Today, I feel as though I were lying in the sun. As though I’m on holiday, and we’ll be going out for dinner every evening.”
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The debut album from Sophia Stel, one of the first musicians signed to A24’s record label, is out today. It’s titled “The Greatest Album of All Time.” Maybe a bit of hyperbole there, but we’re enjoying it.
Ask Vanessa
I have been collecting vintage clothing since my late teens. Despite all these garments, I often feel like my wardrobe is wearing me, and I am hanging on to things just because they are interesting or good quality at a good price. — Mary, Rochester, N.Y.
I am sorry to say it, but I think the question here is not so much about thrifting as about developing and understanding a personal style ….Read more.
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