Jil Sander
MILAN, February 26, 2010
By Sarah Mower
Women buzzing to and fro in neat-to-the-body jackets, sheer shorts, bodysuits, tailored catsuits, and formfitting coats, equipped with Velcro-fastened flat boots and handbags. What was this about? In the words of creative director Raf Simons: "Women who have a target, and go for it."That motivational motto might respectably be emblazoned above the door of every Jil Sander store as a welcome to all who must travail under the yoke of executive womanhood. Simons had come to this philosophical distillation after watching Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and The September Issue, and traces of the wardrobes of both movies' stars—Angelina Jolie's stretchy shorts suits, and Anna Wintour's fitted tweed checks—were merged, streamlined, and reanimated on the runway.
Simons' earnest search for a way to represent pared-down, practical dressing for grown women in the twenty-first century is, of course, part of the broader fashion debate that has erupted this season, and it's one that this brand, above all, has to take on. Though part of the collection was posited in sci-fi and computer-game fantasy (the all-in-ones and knitted shorts suits), the rest (fly-front jackets, skirtsuits, and slim coats) still essentially came back to the stock patterns of the Jil Sander nineties. Simons' choices of fabric—the softly colored windowpane checks, scumbled tweeds and knits—are undoubtedly supple, deceptively light, easy to wear, wholly of today. But the questions still left hovering over his severe vision of the female go-to-work uniform are legion. Does a new generation of breadwinners really want to go back to the strict suiting patterns their elders felt dynamic in 15 years ago? Is "minimal," in that sense, actually retro? And does the sight of so many women powering around like work-driven robots reflect back an image that leaves us more uncomfortable than inspired?
/
/
/
see all designers ›
Fall 2010 Ready-to-Wear
#
|
A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
E
|
F
|
G
|
H
|
I
|
J
|
K
|
L
|
M
|
N
|
O
|
P
|
R
|
S
|
T
|
U
|
V
|
W
|
Y
|
Z
|
-
#
3.1 Phillip Lim -
A
-
B
-
C
-
D
D&G Davidelfin Dennis Basso Derek Lam Devi Kroell Diane von Furstenberg Diesel Black Gold DKNY Dolce & Gabbana Donna Karan Doo.Ri Douglas Hannant Dries Van Noten Dsquared² Duro Olowu -
E
Elie Saab Elie Tahari Elise Øverland Emanuel Ungaro Emilio Pucci Emporio Armani Erdem Erin Fetherston Erin Wasson x RVCA Etro -
F
Fashion East Fendi Francesco Scognamiglio -
G
Gabriele Colangelo Gap Gareth Pugh Gary Graham Generra Giambattista Valli Gianfranco Ferré Giles Giorgio Armani Givenchy Graeme Armour G-Star Gucci -
H
Haider Ackermann Halston Helmut Lang Hermès Hervé Léger by Max Azria Holly Fulton House of Holland -
I
Iceberg Isaac Mizrahi Isabel Marant Issa Issey Miyake -
J
-
K
Karen Walker Karl Lagerfeld Kenzo Kimberly Ovitz Kinder Aggugini Koi Suwannagate -
L
L.A.M.B. L'Wren Scott Lacoste Lanvin Lela Rose Limi Feu Loewe Louise Goldin Louise Gray Louis Vuitton Luca Luca Luisa Beccaria Lutz & Patmos Lyn Devon -
M
-
N
Naeem Khan Nanette Lepore Narciso Rodriguez Nathan Jenden Neil Barrett Nicolas Andreas Taralis Nicole Farhi Nicole Miller Nina Ricci No. 21 -
O
Ohne Titel Organic by John Patrick Oscar de la Renta Osman -
P
Paris 68 Paul Smith Pedro Lourenço Peter Jensen Peter Pilotto Peter Som Philosophy Pollini Ports 1961 PPQ Prabal Gurung Prada Preen Pringle of Scotland Proenza Schouler -
R
-
S
Sacai Salvatore Ferragamo Sharon Wauchob Shipley & Halmos Sonia Rykiel Sophia Kokosalaki Sophie Theallet Stærk Stella McCartney Stephen Burrows Suno Sykes -
T
-
U
Undercover United Bamboo -
V
Valentino Vanessa Bruno Vena Cava Vera Wang Véronique Leroy Versace Versus Victoria Beckham Viktor & Rolf Vionnet Vivienne Tam Vivienne Westwood Vivienne Westwood Red Label VPL -
W
Wayne William Rast Wunderkind -
Y
Y-3 Yigal Azrouël Yohji Yamamoto Yves Saint Laurent -
Z
Zac Posen Zero + Maria Cornejo
ERROR:
