There’s nothing quite like Jil Sander as designed by Raf Simons. While I can appreciate the New Look-esque aesthetic and impeccably cut and tailored pantsuits, blouses, and coats that Jil Sander designed while still at her namesake label, Simons has been able to take Sander’s minimalist signature aesthetic – with all the sumptuous fabrics that they’ve always entailed – and infuse a modern, painterly, and sculptural feel to his work at the label.
This comes as little surprise, given that Simons was exposed, early on in his career, to the work of Martin Margiela and Jean Paul Gaultier. Ironically, when Jil Sander was initially established, the brand was seen as an alternative to the flash of the likes of Gaultier and Margiela, but it seems that Simons has been able to extrapolate the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, as we all know, the kind of craftsmanship and detail that go into Jil Sander make for very high prices. Come Spring 2011, however, a long overdue lower priced line, Jil Sander Navy will be launched.
Navy will consist of trench coats, blouson jackets, lightweight jersey pieces, knitwear, T-shirts, shirts, dresses, pants, skirts, jackets, jeans, as well as handbags, footwear, and belts. Expect abstract prints to be a big part of the collection.
Images courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.