Prada indicates selling off JIL SANDER AG

[faust]

If I were just looking at the collections, I wouldn't know what was so financially wrong with Jil Sander. I can understand why a brand like McQueen (too radical), Balenciaga (too costly), or Stella McCartney (simply not popular enough) would lose money, but Jil Sander doesn't have the same problem. Neither does Helmut Lang.

I hope Prada sells off both brands. Installing a new designer at the post just won't cut it. It will only tarnish the image of the brand, which is very strong and appealing.

In a perfect world, both Jil Sander and Helmut Lang would be purchased by a strong financial backer and both designers would return. I miss seeing their work.

I think the problem there is that Jil's and Helmut's customers are more discerning. For them, the actual designer behind the designs is important, not just the name on the tag.

 

[kit]

I don't know a lot about the co. JIL SANDER, but do know a couple of facts. About the 1980's?... Can't help you out much there. But here is what I do know about JIL SANDER 80's:

1. JILSANDER-PUMA co-design contract was signed around 1983
2. JIL SANDER fragrance licsense was started in 1987
3. Ms. Jil Sander left Hamburg fashion week to join Milan in 1985.
4. JIL SANDER makeup line was started in the late 1980s but I believe is longer sold in stores.

... thats about all I know. My mothers good friend worked for JIL SANDER in the showroom on Osterfeldstrasse, Hamburg Germany. I found out some interesting things from speaking with her about her job at JIL SANDER...

Jil Sander was a well-kept secret of the fashion cognoscenti in the 80's and was famous for her minimalist Euro/Japanese designs - the perfect women's cashmere overcoat etc etc .

In London she was only stocked by Browns - which shows how exclusive she was .

It was the move to Milan , for her shows that started the troubles assosiated with catering for a wider audience .

I'll say it again - Why is there NO German conglomerate prepared to buy her back from Prada and put Jil back where she belongs ?

The Germans are the richest country in Europe .

Do they ONLY want to be known for the fact that ESCADA is the premier German label ?

 

[nqth]

Many thanks Andro, Kit:-)

I read at the Goethe institute page that she "invented" the layer look. But the further explaination suggests that it was about seperates, rather than the multiple-layered outfit.

I also remember the shiny fabric I once saw in her 94 collection (I might be wrong at the date). Is it the "silvered linen"? Anyway she is famous for using luxuries fabrics but I can't read anywhere about her experiments with new materials. Oh maybe except her famous padded wool. I remember that the word "protection" was in every article about fashion back at that time.

 

[kit]

Many thanks Andro, Kit:-)

I read at the Goethe institute page that she "invented" the layer look. But the further explaination suggests that it was about seperates, rather than the multiple-layered outfit.

I also remember the shiny fabric I once saw in her 94 collection (I might be wrong at the date). Is it the "silvered linen"? Anyway she is famous for using luxuries fabrics but I can't read anywhere about her experiments with new materials. Oh maybe except her famous padded wool. I remember that the word "protection" was in every article about fashion back at that time.

I should have added to my post the separates in ' new ' materials and fabulously expensive luxury fabrics like silk , cashmere etc .

She over extended herself , starting a men's line with the ' great ' Roberto Menichetti as designer , reaching out to a much much wider clientele across the globe and absolutely refused to compromise her standards . ( Quite rightly , imho ) .

Why on earth she trusted Patrizio Bertelli to do the same is one of life's great imponderables .

Hence the story so far ...........

 

[micro]

@ANDRO

I found out some interesting things from speaking with her about her job at JIL SANDER...

What did you find out from speaking with her?

 

[Andro]

What did I find out?... hmmm

Well, for starters when she was younger (30's & 40's) she was actually quite beautiful and modeled in Germany for a while in the 1970s. I know you can find a video clip of a old German commercial feat. a young Jil Sander (mid 20's I believe). I came across the movie clip searching Google images or Yahoo media sites.

Unfortunately, Ms. Sander had cosmetic surgery done in the late 80s, and later her facelift dropped. Leaving her skin sagged and wrinkled today. You wouldn't supposed this is why her makeup line isn't around anymore?

 

[nqth]

The goethe institute page said she didn't want to look "pretty" to people so she started to wear trousers, in the 60s:-)

Here is the article about her:-)
http://www.goethe.de/kug/kue/des/thm/en56582.htm

 

[kit]

I read somewhere that she had an affaire years ago with Wolfgang Joop - two plastic surgery sirens together !!!

 

[Andro]

Jil Sander in a 1970s German TV Commerical Advertisement

Heres the link for Real Player Movie... http://www.mschildt.de/studium/werbung_web/realmedia/1976-1977_cd_jil_sander.rm

If you don't got RealPlayer; just go directly to the home-website at... http://www.mschildt.de/studium/werbung_web/html/werbung_frueher.html

Does anyone have a clue what they are saying? I looks like Jil is promoting some product. (Wasn't she a doll? I have an autographed photo of Jil Sander, from the beauty campaign she modeled in to promote her cosmetics back in the 1980s. If I come across a picture online I'll try and show it. This Television ad looks much like the autograph ..

 

[micro]

@ANDRO

Unfortunately, Ms. Sander had cosmetic surgery done in the late 80s, and later her facelift dropped.

Are you sure about the cosmetic surgery story?

I found these two pictures. The first from 1996 and the second from 1998. Somehow you could say she looks better on the second, so there might be some truth to it.

 

[micro]

I read somewhere that she had an affaire years ago with Wolfgang Joop - two plastic surgery sirens together !!!

This rumour was actually started by W. Joop himself who used to work for several years as an employee for Jil Sander. Sander herself strongly denied the fact. Since he did not follow up on it I think there is no truth to it. It is well known in Germany that the two don't get on well. They are competitors and this was not the first time he made remarks about her.

 

[Andro]

These pictures where taken after 1987 when she first had the facelift. To make anything more unfortunate for the lady, she was a victim of cheap 80s cosmetic surgery that led to what you see now in these pictures. As I mentioned in my earlier post, Sander was one of the first designers to use her own face to promote her products (i.e makeup). If you're lucky enough to come across the ADS she did for makeup in the late 1980s, then you would clearly see the difference.

 

[micro]

Does anyone have a clue what they are saying? much li

It is a commerical for a soap product line called CD. I think it was done in 1977 before she started her own cosmetic line. It says:

Its the new women for which CD is made, for example Jil Sander, successful fashion designer from Hamburg-Poeseldorf. She doesn't like trendy things and follows a classical soft line in fashion design as well when choosing her cosmetic products. She uses CD- the mild cosmetic soap for sensitive skin.... you can buy it as soap and shower gel.

Finally Jil Sander says herself: 'I only let water and CD on my skin.'

 

[Andro]

I read somewhere that she had an affaire years ago with Wolfgang Joop - two plastic surgery sirens together !!!

I know for a fact that this rumor is untrue. Don't ask why but I just know.... Even though I would just love to spill the beans! I'm sure Ms. Sander would be so mad she could make the softest, most subtle leather hangbag out of my bare flesh.

 

[micro]

These pictures where taken after 1987 when she first had the facelift. To make anything more unfortunate for the lady, she was a victim of cheap 80s cosmetic surgery that led to what you see now in these pictures.

How do you know exactly when she had her surgery?

On German television was a documentary about her in 1983 which I have and indeed she looks beautiful. When she was asked by the journalist if she ever would consider cosmetic surgery once she gets old she said clealy NO. So it makes me wonder that she did it after all. The journalist obviously asked her since she was using her face at that time to advertise her cosmetic line.

 

[Andro]

I know this from a personal source who worked with Ms. Sander at the Osterfeldstrasse Showroom in Hamburg. Not naming any names but this source(a personal friend) told me that one day Ms. Sander walked in to the atelier w/ red marks on her face *the kind you get after a facial surgery*

(I assume this would have looked somewhat like that show on MTV 'Made'; about the two male twins that wanted to resemble Brad Pitt, after they had their facelifts).

 

[micro]

I know this from a personal source who worked with Ms. Sander at the Osterfeldstrasse Showroom in Hamburg. Not naming any names but this source(a personal friend) told me that one day Ms. Sander walked in to the atelier w/ red marks on her face *the kind you get after a facial surgery*

I feel sorry for her in a way, because if she had waited until now with laser surgery its so much softer than what they used to do. And I'm sure even without any surgery she still would have looked good for her age. But maybe the pressure in the fashion business is so big that it was hard to resist.

 

[nqth]

Oh well, can we go back to much much loved Jil Sander fashion:-)?

 

[micro]

Well, I doubt we'll see any more of it. Like Prada is leading the company now down the drain. But maybe JS starts something new. A homecollection or fashion line.

 

[Andro]

Can we go back to the Much Jil Sander fashion? maybe her archives... its just that there is so little personal information known about this 'Methodical' designer it brings much thought to my curiousity.

Not that it matters, but I would just like to know more about who fashion experts recall as ' The Most Influential Woman in Fashion '.