There’s no argument here: before “minimalism” took on the meaningless throwaway it’s become in current culture, there was Jil Sander. The business behind Jil Sander has unfortunately not been as clean-cut as its aesthetic vision, from it being corporatised by LVMH to the long-suffering Jil Sander herself quitting and reclaiming ownership of the house several cycles over, so it was rather appeasing that in 2017 couple Luke and Lucy Meier took on permanent creative director roles.
For their first SS collection for the house, the Meiers seem to have done right by the Jil Sander customer. A practically devoid colour palette naturally forces a more critical scrutiny of materials, shapes and styling, and if even by those standards we can turn a blind eye to the more commercial button-up shirts and everyday navy trousers, we can definitely sift out some must-try-in-fitting-room looks.
The taupe stage echoed with a soulful Nina Simone track for a few seconds before the models came pouring out in some rather stunning sculptural pieces. We love the deconstructed shirts that split under the sleeves, as well as the subversive necklines that made Jil Sander stand out in its heyday. Some standouts include the checkered turtleneck dress in luminous ice blue and translucent navy mesh men’s “blouse” with winding wire-cinched detailing.
Menswear saw an interesting mix of layering options, from a netted shirt with tassel ends under a sporty windbreaker to waxy latex one under a cream suede coat. Towards the end, there were even some colourful knit dresses in odd geometrical colour blocks of green, yellow, brown and grey. Not the most conventional combinations, but definitely refreshing from the highly curatorial looks perhaps holding Jil Sander back in the hyper-visual sphere of digital. The collection overall was a safe bet for the house and a clean transition of creative power, but we definitely hope to see more of the Meiers’ personal tastes as they continue navigating future seasons.
In line with the clinically minimal, almost religious-like garb that featured the catwalk, accessories were impressively paired back yet statement. There were that looked like books that held the secret to life and impressively unisex loafers with gold ankle bracelet details, a sleekness only achievable by two designers with an impressive backgrounds in their respective design expertise.
The Jil Sander SS18 Men’s collection is available now at Club 21 Singapore. Otherwise, shop their other SS18 collections here.
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