A HUMBLE RETURN
Milan: It would be difficult for any designer to follow the universally lauded work of Raf Simons, but that was Jil Sander’s task upon returning to her own label for S/S 13 and luckily she was up to the job. Starting with a flattened hourglass silhouette, Sander concentrated on what she knows best—minimal suiting and simple dresses, this time rendered without hard angles or excessive tailoring. Although they were devoid of embellishment, Spring’s bell-shaped skirts and round sleeve blouses could almost be folk-inspired, and along with light ribbed knit ski sweaters there was definitely an Alpine theme in play. Peasant tunics and smock dresses with oversized hip pockets were as humble as an advanced modernist like Sander can get, but iridescent dots bore a hint of Simons’ flashier use of texture—an unnecessary callback for a label clearly moving forward.—Nina Stotler
Silhouette: Flattened hourglass / Bell shapes / Lean / Empire
Color: Wine / White / Navy / Neon red / Cream / Black / Chocolate / Nude
Key Items: Sleeveless vests / Cropped sleeve coats / Pencil skirts / Elongated blazers / Straight leg trousers / Bell-shaped skirts / Tunic tops / Ribbed long-sleeved knit sweaters / Crisp cotton blouses
Materials: Coated cotton / Stretch twill / Ribbed knits / PVC
Print + Pattern: Dots / Contrast patches
Details + Trim: Oversized hip pockets / Round sleeves / Iridescent dots / Covered plackets
Accessories + Footwear: Rigid box clutches / Foldover boots / Slim envelope bags / Wide belts / Diagonal zipper knee-high boots / Round sunglasses with smoky lenses
