Jil Sander's new collection for Uniqlo will be
called +J, reports WWD.
On Wednesday, Uniqlo unveiled the name and simple black logo in sans serif font, true to the designer's minimalist sensibility.
As reported, the Japanese fast fashion brand, which is owned by Fast Retailing Co. Ltd., and the German designer had to find a creative detour around the fact that fellow Japanese firm Onward Holdings Co. Ltd. owns the designer's former fashion house and retains commercial rights to her full name.
Jil Sander's creative role at Uniqlo extends beyond the +J collection to the brand's other apparel and accessories for men and women. But it is understood that the designer is focusing her initial efforts on the fall/winter launch of this newly created collection, flying frequently between her home in Hamburg, Germany and Tokyo.
We are so excited for Jil Sander's return to fashion. And to be designing for a lower priced line like Uniqlo just makes it all the more exciting. It's been five years since she left her own design house after disagreements with the Prada management. The new line will be sold at Uniqlo.com and in the flagship stores. There has been no launch date set.
Jil Sander is entering the jewelry business after its first capsule collection was well-recived. The design firm has inked a deal with Italian jewelry manufacturer Damiani to produce a line of jewelry and watches.
The jewelry collection will be launched in the fall, while watches will hit retail in early 2010. The collections will be sold at Jil Sander boutiques, and select department and jewelry stores, as well as the Rocca Stores that are owned by Damiani. The company declined to provide a first-year sales projection.
"After the great response on our first collection of earrings for this summer, I am convinced that Jil Sander, even being considered as a brand of pureness, can create a product category such as jewelry," said Jil Sander creative director Raf Simons. "I feel no limitations in this new direction for the brand as long as we can create items in the very specific Jil Sander style: sophisticated, luxurious and ultramodern."
Damiani also manufactures jewelry for St. John, Caldroni and Bliss.
WWD reports that the executive shuffling at both Versace and Jil Sander have now been finalized. Gian Giacomo Ferraris is leaving Jil Sander AG to become the CEO of Versace and Alessandro Cremonesi, currently the CFO at Jil Sander AG, will now take Ferraris' place as CEO of the company.
On Tuesday, Ferraris declined to reveal his plans for the brand, but praised its international scope, well-established core values and quality. "This is a great challenge for me. I appreciate the fact that Versace has lately cleaned up its act, but I want to examine the company before I make any proposals," said Ferraris, adding that, while it isn't a public company, Versace's "board is structured to resemble one."
He said he has very high regard for Donatella Versace and her "modern and international design team."
For her part, Donatella Versace said she is excited about the arrival of Ferraris after she; her brother, Santo Versace, and Allegra Beck, her daughter and majority shareholder, increasingly disagreed with Di Risio's strategy. There were widespread press reports that Di Risio and Donatella Versace battled over the executive's cost-cutting moves, although that was denied by the company. The board hired Bain & Co. to help develop a three-year plan on the brand's future direction, which some sources speculated may have irked Di Risio. Sources also said the Versaces believed Di Risio wasn't reacting quickly enough to the sea change in the luxury market since the recession began to bite hard last fall.
"I have had the chance to spend some time with [Ferraris], and he has great experience in our industry. He did a fantastic job at Jil Sander, and I am sure he will do a great job for Versace, too," Donatella Versace said.
There is no question that the ability to get along with Donatella is a job requirement for the new CEO of Versace. As for Jil Sander, most insiders think Cremonesi is well-suited to move into the CEO's chair. He wants the company to boost its communications skills by interacting more with consumers and using the Internet, social networking sites and Twitter.
Teen Vogue found some jewelry that incorporates dead sea creatures from local pet stores.
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Mad Men creator Matt Weiner's eight-year-old son Arlo Weiner is very stylish for his age.
German designer Jil Sander has accepted
a position with Japanese firm Uniqlo, which will mark the comeback of the designer who left her own label in 2004 over a dispute with the new owners.
The German designer has just signed a "design consulting agreement" to oversee the men's and women's apparel at Japanese retail giant Uniqlo. Sander and executives from Uniqlo's parent company Fast Retailing Co. Ltd., held a press conference here Tuesday to outline the terms of the deal.
"Some of you [have known] me since I have been engaged in fashion but I'm not interested in the past. Let us talk today about the future" the designer, clad in a black knee-length coat, told journalists assembled at the Four Seasons Hotel. "I'm here in Tokyo for something completely different. The challenge for me is to establish a premium quality in a democratically-priced range."
Although Sander will not receive an official title at the company, the designer will take over the creative reins for all the retailer's products excluding accessories and children's wear. The Japanese brand and Sander are also working to develop a special Uniqlo collection, bearing the designer's minimalist look, set to bow for the fall season. Details regarding the collection have not yet been disclosed.
As reported in WWD last week, Sander was spotted at the Première Vision textile trade show in Paris in February, which reignited ongoing speculation she planned to return to the fashion world. Sander famously left her namesake label for the second time in 2004 after clashing with the brand's former owner, Prada Group, and its chief executive officer, Patrizio Bertelli, over creative and control issues.
Uniqlo is actually doing quite well during the recession, which is hitting Japan's retailers hard. Tadashi Yanai, the chairman of the company is Japan's richest man. He is worth $6.1 billion.
Raf Simons did a marvelous job with the Jil Sander fall 2009 ready to wear collection. The first part of the show is classic Jil Sander: these are elegant, perfectly tailored clothes in camel, white, black and grey. The pieces were timeless, with flawless cuts and gorgeous fabrics. After the opening, Raf then segued into his current esthetic, which was inspired by the art of French ceramist Pol Chambost.
The second part of the show was quite exciting. Raf took the basic Jil Sander-style shapes and added an architectural element to it. Around a classic shift dress, fabric swirled in a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. Black, white and touches of neon highlighted the sculptural embellishments. The collars were a work of art, as were the swirling shapes, although Raf got a bit carried away with some of the dresses which featured an odd, assymetrical protrusion on the hip of several pieces. No women wants a side bustle, no matter how perfectly cut the fabric is. But other than that misstep, this was a thrilling collection. Take a look:
German designer Jil Sander has 
