Calvin Klein Spring Summer 2026 “Well, that is your name, isn’t it? Calvin Klein? It’s written all over your underwear.” Story by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo Courtesy: Calvin Klein.

Lorraine: Well, that is your name, isn’t it? Calvin Klein? It’s written all over your underwear. I guess they call you Cal, huh?
Marty: Actually, people call me Marty.
Lorraine: Oh, pleased to meet you, Calvin Marty Klein.

Calvin Klein? It’s written all over your underwear

Back to the future indeed.

Welcome to the most literal interpretation of brand identity in fashion history — Calvin Klein Spring Summer 2026. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Marty McFly crash-landed in a Gen-Z East Village bodega at 7 a.m. wearing elasticated underpants and carrying a skeleton key, well, here’s your answer.

Leoni’s sophomore collection doesn’t whisper Calvin Klein. It screams it. In all caps. Repeatedly. On every visible inch of fabric. On the hips. Across the chest. Around the eyes. One might argue it’s less of a collection and more of a high-budget branding exercise — but then again, isn’t that the whole point?

Underwear, Overwear, Everywhere

Let’s begin with the obvious: underwear has officially become outerwear, again. And not just peeking out of jeans — we’re talking full-coverage Y-front long johns, leather terry robes, and structured mini-dresses that appear to be made from repurposed toddler pull-ups (floral print included). If you’re nostalgic for late-night diaper commercials, you’re in luck — now you can wear one to fashion week.

The iconic Calvin waistband, once the subtle nod to a sexy secret, is now the garment. Dresses made entirely of elastic bands bearing the Calvin Klein name, sunglasses mimicking the curve of men’s briefs, and sculptural eveningwear assembled from literal underwear components — it’s underwear as architecture. Or perhaps, underwear as ideology.

The Key to the Collection: A Skeleton Key Accessory

Beyond the briefs and boxers, the season’s central motif is the skeleton key — the vintage kind you’d use to unlock your grandmother’s jewelry box, or perhaps your childhood diary. Here, it dangles from triangle-shaped handbags or loops onto chunky belt chains. It’s symbolic, maybe even poetic — unlocking icons, unlocking legacy, unlocking… the door to your rent-controlled East Village walk-up?

The models clutched keys like secret talismans, adding a playful, faintly surreal element to otherwise austere silhouettes. And yes, the bags were intentionally pre-scuffed — because authenticity, apparently, must now be curated in a design lab.

The Intellectual Tug-of-War

Leoni admits she’s navigating two paths: her own fresh perspective and a reverent study of Calvin Klein’s iconography. Admirable, but here’s the rub — overintellectualizing a brand built on minimalism is a risky sport. For every sharp oversized blazer and razor-thin leather trench (very downtown, very wearable), there was a pom-pom or papery crinkle threatening to tip the balance from sleek to silly.

And let’s talk about that evening gown made from underwear waistbands — technically brilliant, visually fascinating… but functionally? One can only imagine the sound it makes when you sit down.

Final Thought: What Would Calvin Do?

Klein’s genius was never in the excess, but in the edit. He stripped down silhouettes, campaigns, and expectations until only the idea of modernity remained. Leoni has the tools — the sharp tailoring, the cultural awareness, the willingness to play — but in season three, the best move might be subtraction. Less elastic, more essence. Less homage, more evolution.

Until then, one thing’s clear: the name “Calvin Klein” won’t just be on your underwear — it is your underwear. And your dress. And your sunglasses. And probably your keychain.

See All Looks Calvin Klein Spring Summer 2026

See Details Calvin Klein Spring Summer 2026