Good news for Jil Sander lovers, the designer has revealed plans to reprise her popular +J line with Uniqlo with a fall 2020 collection. The Tokyo-based fast-fashion retailer first linked with Sander in 2009, a partnership that concluded in 2011.
As part of the effort, Uniqlo conducted an interview with the famously minimalist designer who responded to questions ranging from her morning routine (meditation, yoga, coffee) to the influence of growing up in Germany on her fashion.
When asked how “essential designs” have changed since the ’60s, Sander said, “All periods have their essentials, the late nineteenth century had the corset, the hippies of the sixties had blue jeans. Today it’s almost impossible to speak of essentials, since we wear nothing but these. The mood is casual and the main requirement is comfort . Thus, packable down jackets have become one of today’s essentials.”
As for her own personal design process, she explained, “I don’t draw, I design on the body and do many fittings. Thus, I am always conscious of all angles and the three-dimensional form.”
Sander also commented on changes in fashion since she last partnered with Uniqlo nine years ago. She noted, “Everything seems to have changed, even in fashion. We are tired of certain forms which we associate with a past that now seems long ago. The material and production techniques develop as well. New fabrics ask for new solutions, for different cuts and patterns. Without necessarily being able to explain the zeitgeist, I can sense the need for contemporary sophistication. I feel today’s magnetisms, tensions and harmonies.”
Sander founded her eponymous label in 1973. Prada bought a majority share of the company in 1999. From the start Sander’s relationship with Prada’s CEO, Patrizio Bertelli was stormy and she resigned six months after the company was purchased. She returned in 2003 but resigned again within a year.
Prada sold the Jil Sander name in 2006. Currently the brand name is owned by Tokyo-based Onward Holdings. As such, Sander’s effort with Uniqlo are currently the only outlet for her obtaining new designs.
The +J Uniqlo collection is set to launch in fall 2020.
