milan spring/summer 2009 - jil sander

of all the shows from new york, london, milan, and paris, the show raf simons presented for the house of jil sander is unarguably the most precise and complete exercise of taking an idea and developing it to its fullest potential. the control and surgical precision simons worked with fringe will be next season's lace to prada's fall. after being at the creative helm of the house for almost three years now and being criticized for sometimes being too clinical and too severe in his treatment of the jil sander aesthetic, this season found simons finding the perfect balance that has eluded him in the past. his approach of utilizing fringe in a vocabulary that was in sync with the spirit of minimalism seems to have been vaguely inspired by the twenties. of course fringe is synonymous to the roaring decade but as oppulent as that period was, it was in many ways the beginning of maximizing visual interest through the simplest of shapes and form. for this collection the base silhouette was uncomplicated and direct, but the use of fringing as panels or in some cases as a full dress over full body suits as exemplified by the first four exits demonstrates how simons can fully exploit its flexibility. it is that rigour to push an idea but at the same time do it in a way that was still within the essence of a house that does not bear his name all the while maintaining a familiarity to his own aesthetic, the sharp minimalist shapes of this collection bear a likeness to his menswear collection for his own label, is a testament to the talent simons possesses.


photo: style.com