Raf Simons Out at Jil Sander, Founder Will Return to Her Label

[tarsha]

Raf Simons to leave Jil Sander. Show on Saturday to be his last.

Jil Sander company has just confirmed that Raf Simons is leaving

twitter/CathyHorynNYT

As usual, right in the middle of fashion month, a media frenzy has begun over some big internal shakeups at major fashion houses.

Jil Sander may be returning to the label she founded in 1968 in as little as four weeks, Gala, a major German magazine is reporting. This means fall 2012 may be the the last collection by current creative director Raf Simons, who was rumored to be the most recent candidate for the Dior job. And as we wrote this, Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn, whose word is pretty much the end all be all, Tweeted the following: “Jil Sander company has just confirmed that Raf Simons is leaving” and “Raf Simons to leave Jil Sander. Show on Saturday to be his last.” Omg.

This wouldn’t be the first time the 68-year-old German designer left and then returned to her namesake label. She initially resigned in 2000 because of disputes with Prada’s CEO Patrizio Bertelli after Prada bought a 75% stake in the label, only to return in 2003, produce two successful collections, and resign a second time because of Bertelli.

Since then, Sander has been working as a consultant for Uniqlo and designing the +J line for the Japan-based retailer. Incidentally, fall 2011 was the final +J collection. So why is she willing to return to Jil Sander now?

As of 2006, Bertelli is no longer involved with the label, as Prada sold it to British private equity firm, Change Capital Partners. That leaves the question: why is there a vacancy? The obvious answer is that Raf Simons is decamping for that position at Dior that’s been open for almost exactly a year now.

Reports in December went so far as to say that LVMH and Simons were “close” to a deal. And while Simons has had a very successful run at Jil Sander, we think he’s a great choice for Dior under the circumstances and, likewise, it will be interesting to see what Jil Sander looks like with its founder back at the helm eight years later.

We have reached out to Jil Sander’s PR for comment but have not heard back.

fashionista

 

[valliaddict]

OMG WHAT!?!?!?!?! WHY?

I know he must be leaving for Dior, but this still makes me sad.....

 

[mistress_f]

Ok this makes me rather sad as i loved loved loved his work at Jil Sander. On the other hand, re-enforces the rumors of him heading to Dior?

 

[Marc10]

Wow this is exciting. Even though I absolutely worship his work at Jil, Raf at Dior sounds so amazing. And Jil Sander coming back to Jil Sander? I can't even pick the best piece of news.

 

[lucy92]

i guess this explains why raf has been less mysterious lately. he let some WSJ journalists into his home a few months ago to photograph it and he did do a piece in this months vogue.

he may feel he has to come out of his shell more now.

i'm not convinced yet he's leaving to go to dior however.

 

[LagerfeldBoy]

Noooooo

 

[Thefrenchy]

I'm a bit sad because I liked his work for Jil Sander but, ohmygod, how exciting would it be if the actual Jil Sander was back to her label

 

[Ives927]

Dammit. He better not be going to Dior then, and actually focus on his own label!

I can't believe FW12/13 is Raf's last collection! And menswear wasn't even that good. Sigh.

 

[liberty33r1b]

noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[models_vlada]

I don't know how i feel about this i'm really sad he's leaving Jil Sander, he did such an incredible and deep work... but at the same time, i don't how he'll do in Dior (if it's true), i'm curious, idk what he can do in Dior maybe he'll surprise us...

 

[eugenius]

I can care less if he goes to Dior..if anything, I'd love to see him put 110% of RAF back into his own namesake line. I feel menswear can benefit more from what he was doing/can do under his own label, moreso than womenswear benefitting from another frilly dress..if that makes sense.

 

[Desi]

^somewhat agree with you Eugenius. 1995 collection is a good start but still comes across a little tryhard. Still this would allow Raf to fuse his Jil style into his mainline and evolve everything further.

 

[tarsha]

This morning, Jil Sander announced that its longtime creative director, Belgian designer Raf Simons, will leave his post, effective February 27th. (He will show his Fall ‘12 Jil Sander collection in Milan on Saturday the 25th.) The announcement comes after several months of speculation that the designer was being courted for other positions: First at Yves Saint Laurent, spurred by an insinuation in the International Herald Tribune in September, and then at Dior, for the role vacated by John Galliano and currently held by Bill Gaytten. (PPR, YSL’s owner, called the rumors “unfounded”; Dior has not commented.) Simons has not yet announced a new position; executives at Jil Sander said in a statement that his replacement at the label will be announced within the next few days.

style.com

 

[Pricciao]

I hope he's gonna sit his a** tight at Dior this time, he was doing so well at Jil Sander!

 

[daoudmac]

Although I am a big fan of Simons I cannot see how his aesthetic would work at Dior. There is nothing in his collections that would suggest he would be a good fit for that position. If he were to do it I would wish him the best of luck but I really think its going to be regrettable. I am happy to see that Sander is returning to her namesake, I have loved and still love her work.

 

[mackos]

I'm a bit sad because I liked his work for Jil Sander but, ohmygod, how exciting would it be if the actual Jil Sander was back to her label

Indeed!!

 

[Phuel]

If it's true that Jil will be returning to her own label that would be the best news in fashion in some time. Really missed her touch.

 

[thejarc]

Editor-in-chief of German magazine Gala has told journalists that she was at peremiere vision buying fabrics for something she could talk about in 4 weeks. (source: various, reliable German newspapers).

JlfjgejfgjefbjefbjefbjebfnckhkzkuHKbmadmbad. Better than all the Dior rumors combined.

 

[Marc10]

Jil is back!

Jil Sanders to Rejoin Her Brand -- Again
By SUZY MENKES

MILAN — Jil Sander is returning to the brand she founded in 1968 — replacing the current designer, Raf Simons, who is scheduled to show his final collection on Saturday.

Speculation now surrounds Mr. Simons, particularly whether he will fill the design director job at Christian Dior, vacated almost exactly a year ago when John Galliano was dismissed for disgraceful conduct and filled since then by Mr. Galliano’s former assistant.

A person in Germany who declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject said that Ms. Sander, 68, was happy to return to the company that bears her name and would take up her role immediately.

A statement from the Jil Sander Group on Thursday said that it would communicate the appointment of a new creative director in the next few days.

There have been previous stop-and-go moments in Ms. Sander’s career since 1999, when the Prada group took a 75 percent stake in the Jil Sander label. She resigned in 2000, following disputes with Patrizio Bertelli, chief executive of Prada. She returned in 2003, then resigned again two years later.

Mr. Simons joined the company in July 2005. The company announcement thanked “Raf Simons for his dedicated commitment to the brand, throughout these years, and wishes him the very best for the future.”

That does not sound like the usual sign off for a designer leaving for a new job offer. Sidney Toledano, chief executive of Dior, could not be reached Thursday, but a company spokesman said no statement would be made about Dior’s new designer, at least until after the ready-to-wear collection was shown. That is scheduled in Paris on March 2.

Prada sold its stake in Jil Sander in 2006 to a British private equity firm, Change Capital Partners. But Ms. Sander was not then considered likely to return. She worked until last year as a consultant to the Japanese company Uniqlo, bringing her modernist, pared-down vision to fast fashion.

Mr. Simons, a Belgian designer who started in men’s wear but went on to develop a streamlined, modern woman’s aesthetic, has kept his own line of men’s wear.

nytimes

 

[Morphe]

His departure feels more like a good thing than anything. I want him to emphasize more on his own line and to be quite honest, I kinda missed Jil's work. Is the Dior thing 100% confirmed or are we still talking out of our a**es?