22 September 2024 |
Jil Sander SS25 took us to an uncanny place. Shrill synths suspended over a cacophony of drums, and soft lyricism, set the tone for the show, which was inspired by the haunting photographs of Greg Girard. Between 1972 and 1982, Girard captured the port of Vancouver, and the ‘lonely hearts’ that passed through, lit by Day-Glo lights evoking a cinematic sense of melodrama. Or, design duo Lucie and Luke Meier share in the show notes, the hidden nightlife of a pre-technological Hong Kong. It looked at “the interplay between our inner and outer lives,” what we wear on our sleeve and what we keep tucked away for our eyes only.
Showing at Milan’s Certosa District, backdropped by brown velvet, the co-ed collection started out with dark, iridescent tailoring so vivid, so sharp and sophisticated, you wanted to reach out and triple check it was real. This was followed by pieces that felt modern, but were cut with vintage edge: think cute, peter pan collars that curled into floral brocade shirting, and linebacker shoulders that jutted out of casual T-shirts injected with sportswear codes.
‘Lonely heart’ typography appeared in sculpted jewellery or embroidered on crochet shirts. Trousers were slender and extended below the ankle. Sunset hued-ombre silk shift dresses danced alongside form fitting ribbed knits with lettuce hems. Dark-wash Japanese denim was worn with sheer knit tops bedecked with knitted flowers.
The procession of prints that closed out the show were some of the best we’ve seen all season. One cyanotype-like 1970’s automobile shirt was rimmed with black fringe. A square coat and shirt-shorts set came out next, plastered with a snapshot of what looked like a writing desk, donning a Japanese magazine and retro wallpaper. It left us wanting more.
Photography courtesy of Jil Sander.
