Seán McGirr and Veronica Leoni exit McQueen and Calvin Klein

Alexander McQueen said on Thursday it was parting ways with creative director Seán McGirr after an uneven three-year collaboration. Hours earlier, Calvin Klein had revealed the departure of designer Veronica Leoni, confirming speculation that her contract would not be renewed. Both exits landed the same day.

Kering, parent of the London-based house, and PVH Corp., parent of Calvin Klein, each said new creative leadership would be named soon. The moves arrived amid a substantial retrenchment at McQueen involving layoffs and a downsizing of its retail network.

Luca de Meo, the veteran automobile executive who became Kering's chief executive in September 2025, thanked McGirr for his contribution and dedication. He said he wants to establish a bold new direction, building on the house's heritage of tailoring, creativity and rebellion to reaffirm its relevance in luxury.

De Meo has not minced words about McQueen's problems. The brand incurred heavy losses by opening 135 stores worldwide, and it leaned too heavily on sneakers, a category that at one point brought in 80 percent of its revenues.

The British house, founded by Lee Alexander McQueen in 1992, is known for innovative and avant-garde design across high-end clothing, accessories and footwear. McGirr, born in Dublin, succeeded Sarah Burton at the label. He was previously head of menswear at JW Anderson and is a Central Saint Martins graduate.

McGirr's résumé reaches beyond JW Anderson. He worked on womenswear at Dries Van Noten and held stints at Burberry and Christophe Lemaire for Uniqlo. Early on he worked for Vogue Hommes International Japan and Taiwanese fabric producer Singtex, and later wrote for trend forecaster Stylus. He is also a photographer.

A great admirer of the founder, McGirr fulfilled a long-held dream with the spring 2027 collection by inviting jeweler and former McQueen collaborator Shaun Leane to create runway pieces, the first time in 16 years. His tenure at the house ends roughly three years after it began.

McGirr himself said he was incredibly proud of the progressive energy the team cultivated, anchoring creativity in contemporary culture and watching it resonate with expressive figures across art, music and cinema. He added that he leaves with profound gratitude and looks forward to his next chapter.

A management shake-up around McGirr

McGirr's exit comes roughly four months after Kering installed Gianfranco D'Attis, previously CEO of Prada, at McQueen's helm. The company touted his strategic vision, operational rigor and deep luxury expertise. D'Attis praised McGirr's respect for the house's history while expressing his own vision. We reported earlier that Gianfilippo Testa left McQueen's chief executive seat for Bang & Olufsen.

The management shifts are part of a wider creative overhaul across Kering, which last week revealed the departure of Anthony Vaccarello from Saint Laurent after an acclaimed ten-year run. His successor has yet to be named. There is also speculation that changes could reach Balenciaga under Pierpaolo Piccioli.

Leoni departs as Collection loses retailers

Born in Rome, Leoni joined Calvin Klein to great fanfare in May 2024, and her debut collection was shown in February 2025. Her appointment followed a multiyear runway hiatus after Raf Simons departed in 2018. The company said a new Collection creative leadership will come in due course.

Her appointment made Leoni the first female creative director of Calvin Klein Collection. The founder himself appeared at her debut runway show in February 2025, seated front row beside Kelly Klein, Kate Moss and Christy Turlington. He later praised the collection warmly, singling out the coats and tailoring.

The reviews improved with time. Her spring 2026 collection was called a standout, and for spring 2027 the show displayed a more evolved sensibility built on the founder's 1990s sportswear and minimalist archive. ListenFirst put Calvin Klein first in social engagement during New York Fashion Week.

That spring 2027 show scored 15.3 million in social engagement, up 552 percent versus February, drawing Rosalia, Teyana Taylor, Pamela Anderson, Emily Ratajkowski and others. Still, none of the stores surveyed after New York Fashion Week listed Calvin Klein among their favorite collections.

Robert Burke, founder of Robert Burke Associates, said retailers never responded to the line. He argued a breakout Collection with a very strong point of view is needed, and that better is not enough against rivals like Khaite and The Row, where Leoni previously worked as design director.

Julie Gilhart said she was saddened that such talent would leave, and that her last show offered a glimpse of wonderful things to come. Gary Wassner, CEO of Hilldun Corp., said Calvin Klein has tried many times to resuscitate the line and needs someone young. Leoni launched her own label Quira in 2021.

Calvin Klein said Leoni played a key part in reestablishing Collection, restoring runway visibility and winning share of voice across four shows. Collection remains central to long-term strategy. In the quarter ended 2 August, brand revenues fell 7 percent to $913.3 million, and global retail sales were about $9 billion in 2025.

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Images: McQueen and Calvin Klein; McQueen, spring 2027 Courtesy of McQueen; Calvin Klein, spring 2027 Courtesy of Calvin Klein; Calvin Klein, fall 2025 Courtesy of Calvin Klein Collection