The iconic avant-garde style of the German Jil Sander has been a pillar of contemporary fashion since the 90s. A fresh fashion, made of simple lines and refined materials that eleven years after the first successful collaboration, returns to join forces with the Japanese Uniqlo. + J, the name born from the merger of the brands, will return this fall to amaze us with a series of garments that are making the entire fashion jet set tremble.
The collection is still a big secret, but while we wait to find out what the must-have items of the next + J will be, let’s get to know the designer Jil Sander better. Born and raised in Hamburg, Jil has made the landscapes of her homeland the main source of inspiration for her creations. The harbour environment, the countryside and farms full of firewood and kilometre-long meadows, the snow and the freezing winter have become the main points of comparison in the creation of her clothes: the almost blinding light of these places have inspired purity and simplicity in lines and accuracy in the choice of materials. Today, according to Jil Sander, it is almost impossible to talk about an essential garment, unlike jeans in the 90s, for example; today the watchword is comfort. Comfort that led her to the creation of her super light-weight jackets and the search for the perfect white t-shirt. (who knows they are main elements of her next + J collection?)
One thing that is certain, said Jil Sander herself, is that the collection, as is customary in the Uniqlo/Sander universe, will be characterized by perfect fit, proportions and a fresh design, a design that winks to Japanese culture to take the almost icy shapes of German fashion. Elegant profiles, white collared shirts and light raincoats were the key elements of 2009 + J collection, what will change? The materials have evolved, the research will be directed to all those avant-garde textures that respect the environment and therefore, changes in style and design are necessary. And we should ask you which are the Japanese designers from which you draw inspiration? Well, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo would no doubt answer.