Jil Sander

  The Vault

I dub thee, queen of minimalism. 

 

Heidemarie Jiline 'Jil' Sander the German fashion designer, was born on November, 27 1943.  Sander began her career as a Textile Engineer graduate, who later added "Fashion Editor of  Petra" and "Boutique owner" to her list of achievements by 1967. At her boutique she sold her own designs alongside other high-end fashion labels which later led to the establishment of her own fashion house in 1968. 

 

At a time where the 80's extravagant proportions and glitzy, lavish clothing styles were all the rage, Sander's minimalist collections became lost in translation on Paris Fashion week runways. She was misunderstood and under appreciated but she did not give up. Instead she kept designing, produced her first perfume in 1978 and coined the "Onion Look", which involves layering multiple articles of clothing to create one look. Back and ready for action at the end of the 1980s, Sander reintroduced her collection at Milan Fashion Week.

Jil Saunder "onion look"

In 1999, the Prada Group bought 75 percent of the Jil Sander label. After many disagreements between Jil Sander and Patrizio Bertelli of the Prada Group, Sander decided to leave her own label. A few short years later in 2003, Prada asked Sander to return to the company. After producing four more seasons of luxurious, well cut separates and contemporary garments, Sander officially stepped down from the company for the last time.

      The Valuables

   

Contemporary & Minimalism will always be key components to an iconic Jil Sander look. Sander's began her label by making women's business separates such as precisely tailored  pantsuits and sleek blouses, all made from high quality fabrics in basic neutral colors.

In Jil Sander present day collections, you will find that the color palette is now mixed with shocking colors, but is still composed of many separates with a very contemporary and minimalist vibe.

Jil Sander Pre-Fall 2011

Jil Sander Pre-Fall 2011

   The Lock

 Who's the new head of house at Jil Sander?

That would be 43- year old creative director, Raf Simons. The Belgian menswear designer sent his first mens and womenswear collections down the runway under the Jil Sander label in 2006. Simon's collections flawlessly and successfully embodied iconic Jil Sander style. 

Raf Simons for Jil Sander, again met the mark with his Spring 2011 collections, described as "Quite possibly THE collection of the season." by Elle UK

Jil Sander Spring 2011 Runway

Jil Sander Spring 2011 Runway

Simon's was quoted in the February 2011 issue of Harper's Bazaar, describing his idea of couture, "...for me, [it's] the uniqueness and the uniqueness here is the color". Color is precicely what Simons delivered at Milan Fashion Week. J.J. Martin of Harper's Bazaar described Simon's collection colors as "lemon-sorbet shade, icy yet blistering with a subtle otherwordly glow" and "magnetic...popping". 

 The Key

After leaving her own label, Jil Sander disappeared from the fashion industry until 2009. Sander made her return by partnering with Japanese brand, Uniqlo as a fashion consultant. Last Fall (2010) Sander collaborated with Uniqlo, producing her first collection since 2004.

Uniqlo.com