Simone Bellotti debut at Jil Sander was not a display of fireworks but rather a deliberate return to the aesthetic that has long defined the house purity of form and disciplined construction. In a season crowded with new creative directors, he chose quietness over spectacle, minimalism over ostentation.
The show unfolded in the intimate Milan headquarters of Jil Sander, designed by architect Michael Gabellini an environment that itself embodies a manifesto of stark modernism. The brand’s DNA, established by its Hamburg born founder, has always revolved around a language of “purism.” It’s a code made memorable during Raf Simons’ tenure and rooted even earlier in Sander’s own philosophy: coats stripped of ornament, cropped shirts, razor-sharp tailoring, and knits that balance softness with structure. Unlike his predecessors, Lucie and Luke Meier, who infused their seven year tenure with artistic flourishes and cinematic drama, Bellotti chose to strip things back to graphic clarity.
“The illusion of simplicity,” as he called it in conversation just before the show, is simplicity layered with tension and precision. He spoke of searching for a balance between classicism and modernity an equilibrium inspired by the contrast outside his studio windows: the bright, pared-down interiors facing the dark brick walls of the Castello Sforzesco.
Bellotti joined Jil Sander only a year ago, after a stint at Bally where he sought to inject the house with a touch of fantasy. Before that, he spent decades behind the scenes at fashion giants such as Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, and Gianfranco Ferré. His first step at Jil Sander was not revolutionary but rather a clear signal: this is a designer who understands the brand’s language and knows how to reinterpret it.
On the runway, the silhouettes were compact, body conscious, and often cut through with asymmetry pencil skirts recalling the work of Fontana, trousers slashed at the waist, and dresses punctuated with daring cut outs that revealed tailored bra tops in suiting fabrics. Alongside these came leather blazers and coats, polished to perfection, worn with narrow soled sneakers and loafers that reinforced the brand’s pragmatic elegance.
What truly distinguished the collection were the details. White shirts with subtle volume, millefeuille like embroidery on collars, and geometric protrusions sculptural touches that appeared on skirts, shirts, and even the tips of shoes. Here, Bellotti drew inspiration from Wolfgang Tillmans’ experiments with folded paper, a nod to whimsy within the framework of minimalism.
This was not a spectacle driven show, and that was precisely the point. It was a proposition for a discerning client someone who understands that power lies in nuance, and that simplicity can be the most sophisticated form of all. Bellotti wasn’t chasing novelty for its own sake; instead, he reaffirmed that at Jil Sander, elegance is the art of reduction.
Photos courtesy of Alessandro Lucioni/Gorunway.com
No comments:
Post a Comment