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

[honeycombchild]

The company confirmed that Sander will rejoin the company in a statement today. The designer will assume her post effective Tuesday, 28 February—the day after Simons’ official departure.

Sander said she was ‘very happy and excited’ to return to the brand she founded in 1968.

‘It feels like coming home after a brief journey,’ she said in a joint statement with the company. ‘The Jil Sander brand is ingrained in my very being, naturally, my vision of sophisticated, truly modern design stayed with me, as vivid as on the first day. Paradigms change and evolve from season to season, but the heart of a brand doesn’t alter.

‘It will be a great challenge and a greater joy to design Jil Sander’s contemporary identity. I am convinced that the moment is as favorable as could be wished. The fashion world needs original voices and genuine signatures. I will do my best to, once again, join the choir.’

Chief executive Alessandro Cremonesi called this a ‘moving moment’ for Sander’s return.

‘Jil Sander's human passion and visionary strength are a priceless force for the future of our company,’ Cremonesi said. ‘Her entrepreneurial attitude will be highly beneficial to all aspects of the Jil Sander Group. It's almost too good to be true.’

The new appointment marks Sander’s third time at the helm of the eponymous company. She ran the brand from 1968 to 2000, leaving one year after selling a 75% stake to Prada Group. She returned to the group in 2003 and departed two years later.

On Thursday, the Sander company announced that Simons would leave his post after showing his final collection for the brand on Saturday. Simons has yet to make any announcements concerning his plans.

Elle UK

 

[honeycombchild]

I imagine this has been on the cards for a while personally. Jil ended her collaborations with Uniqlo this year, probably ready to head back to her own label. I imagine Raf will turn up at Dior and they have known that for a while.

 

[Thefrenchy]

Her return is so exciting to me. Quite frankly, I hadn't feel such excitement regarding fashion in a long time. I cannot wait to see her upcoming work. That must be such a great feeling for her. "Coming back home" as she says.

 

[Ives927]

Following yesterday’s confirmation that Jil Sander and Raf Simons would be parting ways, the company has just confirmed to WWD, officially, that Jil Sander will return to the label she founded 44 years ago. “I am very happy and excited to be back,” she told the paper. “It feels like coming home after a brief journey.”

According to a separate WWD report, retailers are happy about the news, suggesting that the label might have more commercial success with Sander at the helm, even if Raf Simons’ collections were always beloved by critics.

While we’re bummed to see him go (and especially curious to see what he sends down the runway tomorrow), we thought he’d make an interesting successor to Galliano at Dior–he was reportedly in negotiations to take the reins at the French house just a couple of months ago. However, it’s looking more and more like that’s not happening. WWD writes,

However, it is understood the parties failed to reach an agreement and it appears unlikely Simons will join the French firm.

So where’s he going and what is going on with Dior?

Anna Dello Russo (who is always full of surprises) may have been right on the money yesterday when she told us that instead of going to Dior, Simons may instead focus on his own namesake menswear line and (hopefully) add womenswear too.

WWD also points out that Stefano Pilati’s contract with YSL runs out in a month. Rumors that Simons would replace Pilati at the French fashion house caused a similar fashion month media frenzy back in September, but were quickly extinguished when both parties confirmed that contracts with their respective houses would prevent such a takeover from happening. That is until now…

So while all of that is up in the air, will Dior ever find a successor?? According to WWD, maybe not. Sources told the trade that because of commercial (but certainly not critical) success under Bill Gaytten, Dior is “mulling continuing with a team approach, possibly adding some young, up-and-coming talents.” We won’t hold our breath.

fashionista.com

Maybe someone could post the actual article by WWD?

 

[JuiceMajor]

Oh good to know Jil is coming back for sure!! I look forward to her work again!

 

[Scott]

agreed wholeheartedly with dello russo and let's just hope that's the case. because frankly we don't know to even speculate....it's just rumour.

personally i feel raf made enough money from JS to invest his time back into his own label and as dello russo said,maybe even break into the women's market.

 

[kiseki]

JIL SANDER by JIL SANDER! WOW!

 

[JuiceMajor]

It make sense to start his own womenswear using the same concept he has for Jil Sander!

 

[softgrey]

ehm...
title of this thread should probably be changed now that she is confirmed...

 

[Wolkfolk]

Definitely a new era for the fashion world. I think Raf Simons did a mgnificent job but I just can't wait to see Jil get back to business.

 

[haydn]

i think going forward they should refer to her work as jil sander for jil sander B)

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

do you think Jil Sander not doing another Uniqlo collection had something to do with this or was that too early to make a judgement

 

[Ives927]

I think it's pretty evident Jil ended the collaboration with Uniqlo to return back to her namesake label. It's clear all of this was in the works this whole time.

 

[Uemarasan]

This is so sad. I loved Raf Simons for Jil Sander. He brought an edge to the house that was not present under Jil herself. Don't get me wrong, I loved Jil Sander designing for her own label, but Raf really made the brand something really incredibly interesting, dynamic, and modern.

I wonder how Jil will approach the label now with all the superb collections Raf Simons has designed in the last few years. I have a feeling her design aesthetic will be slightly mundane and outdated.

Jil Sander will always be a better designer than Raf Simons.

 

[Pradable]

THERE was a sombre mood as we took our seats at the Jil Sander show this afternoon – despite rumours persisting that designer Raf Simons is leaving the house to go to YSL (if Stefano Pilati goes to Dior), or to Dior, which would be good news, and despite confirmation that Jil Sander herself is returning to the helm of the fashion house she founded which is very good news, we still mourned the end of a hugely successful era that has seen Simons embraced as one of the most exciting names in the industry.

This collection was as breathtaking as ever in its gorgeous simplicity, its calmly pretty colour palette and soft shapes a comforting balm to the emotional mood. Models wandered around Perspex pillars bursting with floral arrangements in cashmere coats that were collarless and fastened only by one hand holding it together at the neck. Roomy and soft shouldered, they were pale pink lined in cream or soft tan lined in pink. Gorgeous sleeveless dresses in panels of woolly pink knit, perforated cream jersey and nude or red cashmere were deliciously luxurious inner skins to the all-enveloping coats.

Bustier dresses of cashmere, then metallic leather, then slippery black PVC had sail-like skirts with squared off seams to create extra room around the hips and white full legged trousers had rib-high waistlines to show off more stiff nude bustier tops to perfection.

It was romantic, feminine and a touch nostalgic with some of Simons’ greatest hits alluded to – huge billowing skirts and one bubblegum pink tailored cocktail dress – and it was easy to wear too. One full skirted blue dress had a sweetheart neckline featuring a keyhole of nude chiffon, while the cashmere coats reappeared in scarlet and you could almost see the brainwaves clashing above us as people made mental notes of which one they wanted to put their name down for first.

The shoes showed that the Jil Sander woman can still celebrate, even if she is a little sad – pointed, ankle-strapped heels in panels of neon pink, silver and cream – and as Raf took his bow, the audience went wild, roaring onto the stage to insist on an encore appearance, which they eventually got, albeit shyly.

Wherever he lands next, we’re going to enjoy watching him there – and yet Jil Sander remains one of Milan’s hottest tickets now that he’s giving the house limelight back to its rightful owner. Sander herself founded the label in 1973 (having opened her first boutique in Hamburg in 1968), and it grew to be one of the most respected labels in Milan. She then sold it to the Prada Group in 2000 but soon afterwards made the shock move of leaving it altogether, as rumours emerged that she clashed professionally with Prada owner Patrizio Bertelli (husband of Miuccia Prada).

In 2003, she was persuaded back to reignite the label’s popularity, which had waned under the guidance of her replacement, Milan Vumirovic (who later went to Trussardi). However, by all accounts relations with her parent company remained strained and she stepped down again in 2004, replaced by Raf Simons the following year. Let’s hope it’s third time lucky for her.

vogue.co.uk

 

[tarsha]

Raf Simons after the show



twitter/VeljkoGavril

 

[JuiceMajor]

good news is he is not retiring!!

 

[Phuel]

This is so sad. I loved Raf Simons for Jil Sander. He brought an edge to the house that was not present under Jil herself. Don't get me wrong, I loved Jil Sander designing for her own label, but Raf really made the brand something really incredibly interesting, dynamic, and modern.

I wonder how Jil will approach the label now with all the superb collections Raf Simons has designed in the last few years. I have a feeling her design aesthetic will be slightly mundane and outdated.

Jil may be extremely understated, but to call her designs never having an edge, or mundane is unfair. Her skills and talent are in her subtlety; her innovation was mostly never felt on impact-- it took a while to understand it.

I can think of some of her breakthrough cuts and silhouettes that were way ahead of their times, yet remain so wearable and maintain their luxury status: Those A-line coats and jackets from the late 90s with their oversized body in the most luxurious tweeds; The tapered flat-front trousers in heavy tweed that is at once classic and new.

Just like I've never been a fan of Raf, I can still appreciate his aesthetic and contributions. And as much as I do feel he's very overrated at times, there's still merit there. But, give me Jil anyday!

 

[JuiceMajor]

The cut of the shirt for +J was amazing!

 

[tricotineacetat]

I think Jil herself has always been a classical dressmaker-type of designer, engineering the fit and fabrication of a garment piece-by-piece, unlike Raf Simons' approach, to whom the design of a collection is much more of a graphic impact concern. This naturally leads to totally different results, though it does remain open what befits the houses' interests better when it comes to selling RTW - While Raf Simons' collections were generally very well received in the press, it was mostly for the sake of novelty. What eventually ended up in the stores was then very often underwhelmingly bland minimalist merchandise, lacking the depth in design and rigorous quality one would expect from a brand with such well-defined brand values as the house of Jil Sander always stood for.