Review of Jil Sander Fall 2023 Fashion Show
Harnessing the Past to Propose a New Future
By Angela Baidoo
What direction to take when brands both old and new are encroaching in your lane? As one of the original purveyors of the minimalist way of dressing, Jil Sander, headed up by design duo Luke and Lucie Meier, epitomises pared-back living that is only now coming into a sharper focus due to real world events shifting priorities and highlighting the benefits of buying for a better lifestyle.
More than an aesthetic, it became a way of living, and many today who are pretenders to the throne, need to grasp that it is more than just about a black suit, white T-shirt, and midi sheath dress. Even the simplest of pieces have to have a level of depth – in the fabric choice, the expert cut, or the reassuring weight of hardware that is used as a trim.
Even the simplest of pieces have to have a level of depth – in the fabric choice, the expert cut, or the reassuring weight of hardware that is used as a trim.
For fall 2023 models walked out to Björks ‘The Anchor Song’. Written in 1990 the artist herself inferred that its meaning was about dropping the anchor, and finding satisfaction in putting down roots – finding a home and belonging. They then meandered between spotlights which led the way through intimate groups of editors clustered together in circles. Anchoring themselves in the past as a way to navigate through uncertain times is where many a designer has chosen to go this season. But for Luke and Lucie Meier, they are fortunate enough to benefit from a rich archive of designs whose formula continues to be a lodestar for forward momentum, even today.
Rejecting the superfluous, each look that hit the runway captured the essence of Jil Sander throughout the years – a keen eye for fabric, an enveloping form, and an embrace of technological innovation. Industrial tones of petrol blue, graphite and clinical white were perfectly contradicted with Klein blue, yolk, tangerine, apple green and a raspberry sorbet, which through their head-to-toe saturation, highlights as accessories, or as the base for a pop-art print the juxtaposition worked. The effect of these tones sat side-by-side at retail will be a visual feat in itself – fluffy furs, against Melton wools, metallic jacquards against crisp cottons, and dry handle technical nylons softened by velvet devoré.
The interchangeable nature of the linear silhouettes that gently sit away from the body meant that the fact that this co-ed collection was almost equally split between men’s and women’s barely registered and showed a high level of discernment for the true future of genderless fashion.
Utilitarian meets high-performance active meets minimalism meets modern romance saw fall 2023 breaking out of rigid dress codes. Putting forward a collection which paired tinsel-style knits with nylon zip-up pants, tailored overcoats and technical track suits, and an oversized parka with a monochrome silk maxi dress. It shouldn’t work on paper, but in the hands of the Meiers it does, mostly achieved through tonal colour co-ordinating (as well as contrast) – the bubble gum pink suit worn by a male model but would suit any gender quite easily, will be an editorial favourite by fall. Texture was also a key vehicle to create surface interest, with hyper-tactility in the form of fluffy angora, slick leathers, tufted wools, and controlled gathers on bubble-hem dresses.
The bubble gum pink suit worn by a male model, but would suit any gender quite easily, will be an editorial favourite by fall.
3D florals, not typically associated with fall have found their way into a number of collections, and here perhaps they stand as a beacon of hope and optimism for new beginnings that are anchored in an acceptance of the importance of the past.