Balenciaga Takes Shanghai and Calvin Klein Names New Creative Director in This Week's Top Fashion News

This week, fashion’s biggest headlines covered runway shows, big-league collaborations, new creative directors and hot-ticket collections.

Among them, Balenciaga touched down at Shanghai’s Museum of Art Pudong to reveal its big-shouldered Spring 2025 collection, complete with massive sneakers, platform boots and an Under Armour collaboration. Calvin Klein announced that it was finally filling its empty creative director’s chair with Veronica Leoni, and Pharrell dropped off the precursor to his Spring 2025 collection for Louis Vuitton.

Elsewhere, Supreme and Ducati joined forces for what some might call the pinnacle of motocross fashion; Harry Styles’ Pleasing brand dropped its first-ever ready-to-wear collection, and ERL designed a campy Simba costume for North West.

Below, Hypebeast has rounded up the top fashion stories of the week so you can stay up to date on trends in the industry.

Balenciaga Staged Its Spring 2025 Runway in Shanghai

Filippo Fior/Gorunway.com/Vogue Runway

On Thursday evening, rain washed over the dimly lit exterior of Shanghai’s Museum of Art Pudong, where Balenciaga had staged a runway for its Spring 2025 collection.

The ill-fated setting felt indicative of the label’s current circumstances: over the last year and a half, the brand has grappled to save face under the downpour of scrutiny that followed its scathing campaign controversy, and the people’s love for its former glorious signatures washed away as collateral damage.

Nonetheless, the brand was prepared with a legion of black umbrellas, which formed a makeshift shield over front-row attendees, like actresses Sophie Marceau and Michelle Yeoh. The result was less dreary and more cyberpunk.

When it rains, it pours. And while the brand’s drizzles of infamy may never dry, it’s clear that Balenciaga does not back down from a challenge.

See the full collection here.

Calvin Klein Will Return to the Runway With Veronica Leoni as Creative Director

Collier Schorr

Earlier this week, Calvin Klein announced that it was filling its empty “Collection” creative director’s chair — one left by Raf Simons in 2017 — with Veronica Leoni.

The QUIRA designer, who was a 2023 finalist for the LVMH Prize and boasts experience at brands including Jil Sander, Céline, Moncler and The Row, will report to CK’s president Eva Serrano. In her new role, Leoni will look to “merge her deep industry expertise with the modern aesthetic of Calvin Klein to design the ultimate representation of the brand.”

“I’m thrilled and honored to have the opportunity to write a new chapter of the Calvin Klein story,” Leoni said in a statement. “For decades, Calvin Klein interpreted the idea of bold self-expression, and I am willing to empower it with a strong accent on style and creativity. I’m deeply thankful to Eva Serrano for her vision and trust. My career has been marked by inspiring encounters with some of the most visionary women in fashion and she is one of them. I also want to thank PVH CEO Stefan Larsson for the amazing opportunity to celebrate one of the most influential brands of American fashion.”

Supreme and Ducati Teamed Up for a Motocross Collaboration

Supreme

Supreme and Ducati joined forces in what some might call the pinnacle of motocross’ fashion takeover.

The duo first revealed a co-branded, special-edition Ducati Streetfighter V4S, before returning to drop off a full lineup of ready-to-wear pieces. Among the standouts, a denim jacket, coming in blue, black and red colorways, features “DUCATI” lettering across the front and “SUPREME” branding on the left sleeve. Elsewhere, track jackets and pants complement lightweight performance tops, all of which play into the racing aesthetic.

Outside of standard clothing, the collab also houses riding gear by Arai, including a Corsair-X helmet and Spidi C1 leather gloves. Racing suits and Dainese racing jackets are available on a made-to-order basis.

The collection is now live in several markets, and it will launch in Japan and South Korea on June 1. See the lineup here.

Pharrell Revealed a New Collection for Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton

Ahead of his Spring 2025 show during Paris Fashion Week next month, Pharrell Williams on Friday dropped off his pre-SS25 collection for Louis Vuitton, titled “DOG LVERS.”

The line pictures the label’s latest wares with all sorts of furry friends, showcasing how its luxury cuts can also exist in more casual settings. Key items include statement pullover sweaters, logo-laden leather jakcets, checkered tweed outerwear, spotted fleeces and Canadian tuxedos. Leather goods, meanwhile, feature paw tags and charms modeled after French bulldogs.

See the full collection here.

Harry Styles’ Pleasing Dropped Its First Ready-to-Wear Collection

Rachel Lamb

Harry Styles’ label Pleasing is known for its playful nail polishes and genderless fragrances, but its fashion products have always been more safely categorized as merch—until now. The brand, led by co-creative directors Harry Lambert and Molly Hawkins, has just unveiled its first-ever ready-to-wear collection for Summer 2024, titled “Wet, Hot, Pleasing Summer.”

The expansive, 25-piece lineup is filled with optimistic graphics and light-hearted patterns. Among the standouts, button-up, short-sleeved shirts house beaming sun motifs and wavy stripes alike, while drawstring shorts, which cut off at the mid-thigh, adopt identical prints.

Pleasing’s Summer 2024 collection is now available to shop on the brand’s webstore, with prices ranging from $55 USD to $275 USD. Explore the full lineup here.

ERL Designed a Custom Lion King Costume for North West

Erl

Eli Russell Linnetz’s ERL label designed a custom lioness costume for Kim Kardashian and Ye’s daughter North West, who took the Internet by storm after performing as Simba in The Lion King at the Hollywood Bowl.

The fuzzy design, which takes after the codes embedded in Linnetz’s Spring 2024 collection, features a “Butter”-colored zip-up hoodie with a shearling hood and matching sweatpants. There’s also a crossbody bag, sunglasses and a trapper hate that tie the look together.

Read more about the custom piece here.