+J: another glance

more pictures of the +J collection by Jil Sander are appearing now that the site has launched. while some of the styled photos and those of the individual pieces are teetering on the verge of mediocrity (as opposed to minimalism), this one in particular stands out, reminiscent of the old ad campaigns.



(left: Paris Vogue, 2001, credit tFS; right: unknown, credit usemycomputer.com)

+J: uniqlo x jil sander

"I have always sought simplicity and high quality. Uniqlo is manufacturing highly functional fabrics and presenting them for a very reasonable price. I think it`s possible that if we put or strengths together, we can make pieces that are beautiful and comfortable, with simplicity, sophistication, and a sense of luxury as well. I think this is exactly what near-futuristic fashion truly is."

brave and possibly prophetic words, although nothing that one has not suspected already in an age of availability and the Now. the adjectives she uses - beautiful, comfortable, simplicity, sophistication, and luxury - are they the marks of futurism when combined with accessibility for all?

interesting also her description of "basics" as the "common language". a suggestion of a universal aesthetic vocabulary steeped in simplicity...

otherwise known as: easier to kop.

Jil Sander SS10 men

Perhaps one of the safest collections that Raf Simons has put out for Jil Sander, he sent out boys styled in the image of the artist Tsuguharu Foujita with his signature bowl cut hair and circular glasses. The palette is starkly monochrome with the occassional pops of pale pastels. A good number of pieces were printed with drawings by Foujita. Stripping off the embellishment, we see a classic Jil Sander minimalism, well cut suits, pants and shirts in a monochrome palette. The collection is perhaps more Foujita-themed than inspired. The pieces are easy and the collection as a whole stylisitically unchallenging; pure Jil sander you might even say. It will surely translate well into showroom sales in a time when stores become ever more conservative for their buys. But the question is, how many Jil Sander white shirts and black pants does one really need?