ENCOMPASSING the minimalist elements in their signature style Jil Sander presented another delicate, neutral and understated collection for their AW18 show. Since making their Jil Sander debut last season, designers Lucie and Luke Meier have continued to adopt the very essence of Jil Sander but with a modern edge. Challenging misconceptions of the design house as hard and sparse, the duo has focused on encouraging the feminine and delicate side of the Jil Sander designs. This season reiterated that. With the title A Human Future, the show was a focus on the need to maintain a level of humanity in order to adapt to the future.
The classic Jil Sander crisp white shirt was transformed into a dress for one look, made in sheer chiffon for another, and ruffed for one. Exploring minimalism via its main advocate, Japan, the collection featured kimono style buttoned up shirts, a padded sash that resembled the Japanese obi, and shoes with ruched leg warmers alluded to kimono house shoes. Fabrics were manipulated to create flower-like structures, and curved seams created oval shapes in the leg and sleeves.
The delicate craftsmanship that you would think would be lost on a completely white landscape was in fact made more visible than ever without a splash of colour or print to distract the eye. Hard lines were softened, hemlines undulating, inner layers are warm, and as a result comfort radiated from each piece. This sensitivity to the human form made the collection fit for the future, whatever it may entail.
As the show progressed hints of colour crept in, first in the form of a floral lavender print that had been resurrected from the 1996 Jil Sander archives, and then a splash of blue, and then dark blocks. Draping was asymmetrical, fits were oversized, and textures were vast. Boxy, voluminous trousers and cinched in elbows toyed between male and female design. Although outerwear looked heavy and warm, they were juxtaposed with looks that exuded light and air.
The simple bags that hung by the models’ sides are the kind that can work with any outfit. All of the collection’s pieces, in fact, due to their neutral palette can adapt to any outfit whether you’re dressing up or down. Exploring the intersection between futuristic shapes and details, and delicate aspects that are distinctly human has resulted in a sophisticated collection with inherent meaning for the future.
by Lily Rimmer
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