Milan Fashion Week Fall 2012: Jil Sander
It’s been seven years since Raf Simons was appointed as the creative director of Jil Sander and during that time, he has more than made his mark. He has created impeccable minimalist collections built on flawless construction, luxurious fabrics and smart ideas. Simons designed the kind of collections that challenge the fashion industry and under his tenure, the Jil Sander runway shows has become some of the most talk about presentations. But sadly, the Fall 2012 collection will be his last at the brand. This season though, was his best work yet.
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Presented at Milan Fashion Week, the collection wasn’t about the perfect balance between ladylike formality and streetwise modernity as it was last season. Instead, it was about act of unbalancing his creations and bringing a sense of chaos and destruction. Simons went about in an artful manner as the lineup of pastel pink, baby blue, nude and dove gray appeared serene and graceful. Three-quarter sleeved blanket coats with contrasting lining were soft spoken as the models held them closed. Spaghetti strap tank dresses had a lingerie feel. Nude skin-hugging turtlenecks were paired with full skirts or knee-length slips.
The moments of imbalance appear in subtle yet significant ways that spoke volumes. Simons tore apart bustier dresses with a slash that peeked through a contrasting color or material. Black dresses and jumpsuits created an illusion as if they had missing pieces of fabric with strategically nude material. Colorblock dresses received an uneven blocking of color or shine of material that disturbed the eye and a gathered PVC dress looked like the designer crumpled it with his hands. The fetishy look along with a stint of bold red coats agitated the otherwise ethereal tone.
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It was ironic that Simons’ last collection revolved around the idea of taking apart everything he built, especially since the departure was announced after the conception of the theme. But it only made the final show that much more powerful. Simons was treated to a standing ovation and an encore – a very well deserved one that showed he would be missed at this fashion house.
The house’s namesake will be taking the position as creative director once again and while the brand is obviously no stranger to her, it will definitely be a challenge to follow this act.
This article was contributed by Annette Tang of the VersaStyle. You can follow Annette and her fashion adventures on Twitter at @theversastyle.
Tagged in: runway, fall 2012, milan fashion week, milan, jil sander, ready-to-wear, milan fashion week fall 2012, raf simons,
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