Jil Sander S.p.A. is a
luxury
Luxury may refer to:
*Luxury goods, an economic good or service for which demand increases more than proportionally as income rises
*Luxury tax, a tax on products not considered essential, such as speedboats or diamonds.
**Luxury tax (sports), a ...
fashion house
Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has varied over time and place. "A fashion design ...
founded in 1968 in
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
and currently headquartered in
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. Founded by
Jil Sander
Heidemarie Jiline "Jil" Sander (; born 27 November 1943) is a German minimalist fashion designer and the founder of the Jil Sander (brand), Jil Sander fashion house.
Early life and education
Heidemarie Jiline Sander was born in Wesselburen on 2 ...
, the brand is best known for its minimalist and clean designs. The brand was acquired by
Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding ...
in 1999 and
Sander
A sander is a power tool used to smooth surfaces by abrasion with sandpaper. Sanders have a means to attach the sandpaper and a mechanism to move it rapidly contained within a housing with means to handhold it or fix it to a workbench. Woodw ...
subsequently departed her eponymous label due to creative differences.
[Petra Kapp]
Designer In Reticence"
nytimes.com, 26 May 2002. After several changes of ownership, the Jil Sander brand was acquired by Italian fashion group
OTB in March 2021.
Simone Bellotti is the
creative director
A creative director is a person who makes high-level creative decisions; oversees the creation of creative assets such as advertisements, products, events, or logos; and directs and translates the creative people who produce the end results. Creat ...
.
History
Beginnings
Founded by
Jil Sander
Heidemarie Jiline "Jil" Sander (; born 27 November 1943) is a German minimalist fashion designer and the founder of the Jil Sander (brand), Jil Sander fashion house.
Early life and education
Heidemarie Jiline Sander was born in Wesselburen on 2 ...
in 1968, the company's first womenswear collection was launched in 1973, menswear followed in 1997.
[style.com - Jil Sander]
/ref>[nymag.com - Jil Sander]
/ref> Her first collection – there was just one of each item – sold out in a week.Tamsin Blanchard
Tamsin Blanchard is a British fashion journalist, author, and lecturer. She is particularly known for her work on sustainability and ecological issues in fashion.
Early life and education
Blanchard was born in Liverpool and took a fashion journali ...
(11 January 2004)
Clean and serene
�''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
''. From 1974, she sold her own collections alongside fashion by Sonia Rykiel
Sonia Rykiel (; ; 25 May 1930 – 25 August 2016) was a French fashion designer and writer. She created the Poor Boy Sweater, which was featured on the cover of French ''Elle'' magazine. Her knitwear designs and new fashion techniques led her t ...
, Thierry Mugler
Manfred Thierry Mugler (; 21 December 1948 – 23 January 2022) was a French fashion designer, creative director and creative adviser of Mugler. In the 1970s, Mugler launched his eponymous fashion house; and quickly rose to prominence in the fol ...
and others. The first fragrance – Woman Pure – was launched in 1979.[Genevieve Buck (September 14, 1994)]
Jil Sander Designs Expansion
''Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
''. During those years, all of the brand's boutiques were designed by New York architect Michael Gabellini
Michael Gabellini (born in 1958), FAIA, is a minimalist architect, interior designer and partner of Gabellini Sheppard Associates with Design Partner, Kimberly Sheppard and Consulting Partner, Daniel Garbowit. A Fellow of the American Institute ...
.
In the 1980s, Sander presented her collections at the Milan fashion shows. With fashion alone, the company made a turnover of 20 million marks in 1981.
The company went public and was listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange
The Frankfurt Stock Exchange (, former German name: , ''FWB'') is the world's 3rd oldest and 12th largest stock exchange by market capitalization. It has operations from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm ( German time).
Organisation
Located in Frankfurt, ...
in 1989; in the process, Sander
A sander is a power tool used to smooth surfaces by abrasion with sandpaper. Sanders have a means to attach the sandpaper and a mechanism to move it rapidly contained within a housing with means to handhold it or fix it to a workbench. Woodw ...
herself sold a one-third ownership for $56 million while retaining control over the voting shares. Also in 1989, the company established a manufacturing site in Ellerau
Ellerau is a municipality in the '' Kreis'' (district) of Segeberg in Schleswig-Holstein, north Germany. It is situated some 24 km north of Hamburg, and 8 km northwest of Norderstedt
Norderstedt () is a city in Germany and part of the ...
, near Hamburg.
The 1990s are considered to be the heyday of the Jil Sander brand. Flagship stores were built in Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
and Taipei
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country ...
, and Sander worked on the design in collaboration with Gabellini and other architects. In 1993 a flagship store was added on Avenue Montaigne
The Avenue Montaigne () is a street in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, 8th arrondissement of Paris, France.
Origin of the name
The Avenue Montaigne was originally called the Allée des Veuves ("Widows' Alley") because women in mourning gathered ...
in Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. In 1995, the company moved into two 18th-century palazzi on Harvestehuder Weg, overlooking the Außenalster
Außenalster () or Outer Alster Lake is the larger one of two artificial lakes, which are formed by the Alster River and are both located within the city limits of Hamburg, Germany. The other „lake“ is the Binnenalster. The Außenalster and it ...
lake in the north of Hamburg; they were redesigned by Gabellini.
In 1992, the designer Roberto Menichetti was hired as Sander's assistant for the women's collection. The footwear collaboration between Jil Sander and Puma from 1996 onwards goes back to his and Sanders' designs – the designer sneaker King was first presented in 1996, the Easy Rider model followed in 1997. In 1997, Jil Sander launched the men's fashion collection; Menichetti also contributed to these designs. Men's fashion soon contributed around 20 percent to group sales.
Also in 1997, Jil Sander established Tailor Made, a line of hand-tailored classic suits in luxury fabrics in limited quantities.
Prada, 1999–2006
In 1999, Prada Group
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding ...
bought a 75 percent share in the company, for which it reportedly paid more than $100 million.[Eric Wilson (24 February 2006)]
Private Equity Group to Buy Jil Sander Label From Prada
�''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. It later increased that stake to 98 percent. At the time, Sander
A sander is a power tool used to smooth surfaces by abrasion with sandpaper. Sanders have a means to attach the sandpaper and a mechanism to move it rapidly contained within a housing with means to handhold it or fix it to a workbench. Woodw ...
said publicly that she partnered with Prada in large part to expand her brand's accessories business. Six months later, Sander departed the company as chairwoman and creative director, and nearly all the design and production staff left as well.Cathy Horyn
Cathy Horyn (born September 11, 1956) is an American fashion critic and journalist who worked for ''The New York Times'' from 1998 until 2014 where she had the highly noted and provocative blo''On The Runway'' In 2015, she was appointed critic- ...
(27 May 2005)
Prada Hires a Men's Wear Designer to Direct Its Jil Sander Division
�''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. The company, which had been profitable before the sale to Prada, lost money in 2001 and 2002.
In 2003, Sander returned to the brand as creative director, for a six-year contract.[Sander and Bertelli: Together Once Again and Ready to Grow](_blank)
''Women's Wear Daily
''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion". Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides i ...
'', 23 May 2003. As part of the deal, she got to sit on Prada’s strategic committee, alongside Bertelli and Miuccia Prada
Miuccia Bianchi Prada (; born Maria Bianchi on 10 May 1949) is an Italian billionaire fashion designer and businesswoman. She is the head designer of Prada and the founder of its subsidiary Miu Miu. As of October 2021, ''Forbes'' estimated her n ...
. She was also given the option to join Jil Sander’s board at a later stage. However she decided to leave again 18 months later.
A restructuring that began in 2004 led Prada to predict that the Jil Sander brand would break even by 2006. The brand's only German production site in Ellerau – with a total of around 160 employees – was closed in 2005.[Corinna Visser (24 February 2006)]
Britischer Investor kauft Jil Sander
�''Der Tagesspiegel
(meaning ''The Daily Mirror'') is a German daily newspaper. It has regional correspondent offices in Washington, D.C., and Potsdam. It is the only major newspaper in the capital to have increased its circulation, now 148,000, since reunificati ...
''. All production has since been taking place in Italy. The company’s net loss further widened to 29.6 million euros ($37 million) in 2004[Amanda Kaiser (5 May 2005)]
Prada Says Sander in Red, Considering Lang Sale
�''Women's Wear Daily
''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion". Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides i ...
''. and to 37.3 million euros ($46.3 million) in 2005.
In February 2005, the long-standing in-house design team and Sander’s longtime stylist, Joe McKenna, presented the first Jil Sander collection since the founder’s departure. In May 2005, it was announced that Raf Simons
Raf Jan Simons (; born 12 January 1968) is a Belgian fashion designer. Beginning in furniture design, Simons launched his own menswear label in 1995. He was creative director at Jil Sander (2005–2012), Christian Dior (2012–2015), and Calvin Kl ...
had become creative director
A creative director is a person who makes high-level creative decisions; oversees the creation of creative assets such as advertisements, products, events, or logos; and directs and translates the creative people who produce the end results. Creat ...
for the women's and men's collection. Simons wanted to "strip it down so there was nothing that wasn't necessary". Suzy Menkes
Suzy Peta Menkes (born 24 December 1943) is a British journalist and fashion critic. Formerly the fashion editor for the International Herald Tribune, Menkes also served as editor, Vogue International, for 25 international editions of '' Vogue ...
, the principal fashion writer for the ''International Herald Tribune
The ''International Herald Tribune'' (''IHT'') was a daily English-language newspaper published in Paris, France, for international English-speaking readers. It published under the name ''International Herald Tribune'' starting in 1967, but its ...
'', said that some items in the collection "made exceptional pieces" but overall it "was not as strong as before." The Fall/Winter collection, however, received accolades from ''IHT''. Simons' first women’s collection was shown at Milan Fashion Week
Milan Fashion Week () is a clothing trade show held semi-annually in Milan, Italy. Upcoming autumn/winter fashions are showcased in February/March of each year, and upcoming spring/summer fashions are showcased in September/October of each year ...
in 2006. The collection received a positive review from the ''Evening Standard
The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
'' and the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
''.
Change Capital, 2006–2009
In 2006, Luc Vandevelde's London-based private equity firm
A private equity firm or private equity company (often described as a financial sponsor) is an investment management company that provides financial backing and makes investments in the private equity of a Startup company, startup or of an existin ...
Change Capital Partners LLP bought the company from Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding ...
for an undisclosed sum thought to be about £68 million.[ It also gave equity in the company to Simons, along with two top managers.]
At that point, the ''Telegraph'' reported that the company was in better shape financially.[ ]Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding ...
CEO
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization.
CEOs find roles in variou ...
Patrizio Bertelli
Patrizio Bertelli (born 6 April 1946) is an Italian businessman and former co-chief executive officer (CEO) of the Prada Group, a role he shared with his wife Miuccia Prada.
Life and career
Born in the Tuscan city of Arezzo in 1946, Patrizio ...
said: "As we focus on the development of the Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding ...
and Miu Miu
Miu Miu is an Italian high fashion women's clothing and accessory brand and a fully owned subsidiary of Prada. It is headed by Miuccia Prada and headquartered in Milan, Italy.
Silvia Onofri is its CEO.
History
Miu Miu was established in 1992 ...
brands, I am certain that Change Capital Partners will be able to provide the necessary investment to further grow the Jil Sander business." Raf Simons
Raf Jan Simons (; born 12 January 1968) is a Belgian fashion designer. Beginning in furniture design, Simons launched his own menswear label in 1995. He was creative director at Jil Sander (2005–2012), Christian Dior (2012–2015), and Calvin Kl ...
remained creative director
A creative director is a person who makes high-level creative decisions; oversees the creation of creative assets such as advertisements, products, events, or logos; and directs and translates the creative people who produce the end results. Creat ...
at Jil Sander. Under Change Capital ownership, the company moved from negative ebitda
A company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (commonly abbreviated EBITDA, pronounced ) is a measure of a company's profitability of the operating business only, thus before any effects of indebtedness, state-mandat ...
of €12.9 million in 2005 to positive ebitda of €6.1 million in 2007.
In July 2008, Jil Sander finalized its squeeze-out
A squeeze-out or squeezeout, sometimes synonymous with '' freeze-out'', is the compulsory sale of the shares of minority shareholders of a joint-stock company for which they receive a fair cash compensation.
This technique allows one or more share ...
, initially set in motion in 2006, and fully delisted a remaining two percent stake from the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
The Frankfurt Stock Exchange (, former German name: , ''FWB'') is the world's 3rd oldest and 12th largest stock exchange by market capitalization. It has operations from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm ( German time).
Organisation
Located in Frankfurt, ...
.
Onward Holdings, 2008–2021
In September 2008, Onward Holdings Co. Ltd. (), a Japanese multi-brand fashion
Fashion is a term used interchangeably to describe the creation of clothing, footwear, Fashion accessory, accessories, cosmetics, and jewellery of different cultural aesthetics and their mix and match into Clothing, outfits that depict distinct ...
conglomerate, and its European subsidiary GIBO' CO. S.p.A. acquired unlisted Violine S.à r.l., a Luxembourg-based holding firm that had the Jil Sander brand under its wing, for 167 million euros (US$244 million).
In 2019, Jil Sander collaborated with Mackintosh
The Mackintosh raincoat (abbreviated as mac) is a form of waterproof raincoat, first sold in 1824, made of rubberised textile, fabric.
The Mackintosh is named after its Scotland, Scottish inventor Charles Macintosh, although many writers adde ...
on a series of functional outerwear pieces and accessories.
OTB Group, 2021–present
In March 2021, OTB Group
Only The Brave, S.p.A., commonly known as OTB Group, is an Italian holding multinational corporation specializing in luxury goods, headquartered in Breganze. The company was founded in 2002 by Renzo Rosso as a holding company for Diesel and f ...
acquired 100 percent of the Jil Sander brand.[Luisa Zargani (March 5, 2021)]
OTB Acquires Jil Sander Brand
''Women's Wear Daily
''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion". Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides i ...
''. In September 2021, Ubaldo Minelli, CEO of OTB, was also appointed CEO of the brandhttps://wwd.com/business-news/human-resources/jil-sander-new-ceo-1234926375/.
In 2022, Jil Sander launched Indulgence, a new line of apparel and accessories characterized by high-end fabrics, plush textures and buttery colors.
In early 2025, Luke and Lucy Meier departed from the brand. Simone Bellotti, formerly creative director of Swiss brand Bally, was appointed as their successor.
Leadership
Designers
* Jil Sander
Heidemarie Jiline "Jil" Sander (; born 27 November 1943) is a German minimalist fashion designer and the founder of the Jil Sander (brand), Jil Sander fashion house.
Early life and education
Heidemarie Jiline Sander was born in Wesselburen on 2 ...
: 1968–2000, 2003–2004, 2012–2013[
* ]Milan Vukmirovic
Milan Vukmirovic (born 1970) is currently Editor-in-Chief and Founder of FASHION FOR MEN bookmazine and Menswear Creative Director of Ports 1961, since 2015.
Early life and education
Born in Chantilly, France in 1970 to a Serbian family, Vukmiro ...
: 2000–2003[
* ]Raf Simons
Raf Jan Simons (; born 12 January 1968) is a Belgian fashion designer. Beginning in furniture design, Simons launched his own menswear label in 1995. He was creative director at Jil Sander (2005–2012), Christian Dior (2012–2015), and Calvin Kl ...
: 2005–2012[
* Pauric Sweeney: 2005–2012][
* Rodolfo Paglialunga: 2014–2017][
* Lucie Meier and Luke Meier: 2017–2025 ][
* Simone Bellotti: 2025-Present]
CEOs
* Roland Böhler: 1993–1998
* Aurelio Giorgini: 1998–1999
* Patrizio Bertelli
Patrizio Bertelli (born 6 April 1946) is an Italian businessman and former co-chief executive officer (CEO) of the Prada Group, a role he shared with his wife Miuccia Prada.
Life and career
Born in the Tuscan city of Arezzo in 1946, Patrizio ...
: 1999–2004
* Gian Giacomo Ferraris: 2004–2009
* Alessandro Cremonesi: 2009–2015[Luisa Zargani (23 June 2015)]
Jil Sander Said Naming New CEO
�''Women's Wear Daily
''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion". Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides i ...
''.
* Alessandra Bettari: 2015–2018
* Axel Keller: 2018–2023
* Ubaldo Minelli: 2021–2023
* Luca Lo Curzio: 2023–2025
* Serge Brunschwig: 2025
Locations
As of August 2022, Jil Sander operates 42 stores in Europe, Asia, and North America, including in London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...
, Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
, Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, Zurich
Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
, Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, Seoul
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
, Shanghai
Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
, and New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
.
Other projects
Fragrances
Jil Sander's first women's fragrance, Jil Sander Pure, was launched in 1977 and its first men's perfume, Jil Sander Man Pure, in 1981., both as part of a licensing agreement with Coty
Coty Inc. is an American multinational beauty company founded in 1904 by François Coty. With its subsidiaries, it develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes fragrances, cosmetics, skin care, nail care, and both professional and retail hai ...
; it was most recently renewed in 2023. Jil Sander launched a women’s Sun fragrance in 1989, No. 4 which was launched in 1991.[Alev Aktar (9 May 1997)]
Sander’s global hope: Jil
�''Women's Wear Daily
''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion". Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides i ...
''. In 1997, Quest International
Quest International was a major producer of Flavoring, flavors, fragrances and food ingredients with sales of £560 million in 2005 before its acquisition by rival Givaudan. Quest created and marketed flavours and fragrance concepts and solutions ...
developed the Jil fragrance. Each scent was concocted with Sander’s creative input before she left her namesake brand in 2004.[Brid Costello (28 January 2005)]
Jil Sander Launches a Couple of Good Sports
''Women's Wear Daily
''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion". Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides i ...
''.
Later fragrances have included Jil Sander Sport (2005), aimed at 18 to 25-year-olds, and Jil Sander Style (2006), a scent created to appeal to women who are 30 and older.
Innerwear and beachwear
In 2008, Jil Sander entered into a licensing agreement with Albisetti to produce innerwear and beachwear.
Eyewear
From the early 1990s, French luxury eyewear designer Alain Mikli held the license for Jil Sander Eyes. From 1999 to 2003, Jil Sander's then-owner Prada partnered with De Rigo on a joint venture company, EID (International Eyewear Distribution), to produce and distribute eyewear for all Prada Group brands, including Jil Sander. In 2008, the brand entered into a licensing agreement with Marchon Eyewear to produce and distribute men’s and women’s eyewear.
Jewelry
After a first capsule fine jewelry collection in 2009, Jil Sander entered into a licensing agreement with Damiani
Damiani is a surname, of Italian origin.
Notable people with the surname include:
*Victor Damiani (born 1970), American bassist
* Chip Damiani (1945–2014), American drummer
* Damiano Damiani (1922–2013), Italian screenwriter and film director ...
to create a complete line of jewelry and watches.
Diffusion line
Jil Sander Navy, a diffusion line
A diffusion line (also known as a bridge line) is a secondary line of merchandise created by a high-end fashion house or fashion designer that retails at lower prices. These ranges are separate from a fashion house's "signature line", or principal ...
priced 30% to 40% lower than the Jil Sander collection, was launched in 2011. Its design was not overseen by Raf Simons, but by a separate design team.[Jil Sander to Return as Raf Simons Exits](_blank)
''Women's Wear Daily
''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion". Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides i ...
'', 23 February 2012. Garments included outerwear, light jackets, and knitwear as well as t-shirts, blouses, and dresses.
The first deliveries were for spring 2011, with an initial focus on the U.S. and Japan. The first Jil Sander Navy flagship opened in Milan in 2013, as well as a temporary store in London. The line was discontinued in 2019.
Electronics
In 2011, Jil Sander and LG Electronics
LG Electronics Inc. () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational major appliance and consumer electronics corporation headquartered in Yeouido-dong, Seoul, South Korea. LG Electronics is a part of LG, LG Corporation, the fourth ...
launched the fashion brand's first-ever mobile phone. Conceived by Jil Sander Corporate Design, another LG Electronics smartphone was launched in 2022.
Footwear
As part of Birkenstock
Birkenstock Holding plc is a German shoe manufacturer known for its sandals and other shoes notable for contoured cork footbeds (soles), made with layers of suede and jute, which conform to the shape of their wearers' feet. Founded in 1774 by J ...
's 1774 project, a collaborative collection that saw designs created by Valentino, Proenza Schouler
Proenza Schouler is a womenswear and accessories brand founded in New York City in 2002 by designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez.
In October 2024 Proenza Schouler appointed Shira Suveyke Snyder as chief executive officer, succeeding Kay ...
and Rick Owens
Richard Saturnino Owens (born November 18, 1961) is an American fashion designer from Porterville, California. In addition to his main line, Owens has a furniture line and a number of diffusion lines.
Early life and education
Richard Saturnino ...
, Jil Sander teamed up with the footwear brand in 2022 on four shoe designs.
Sportswear
In 2021, Jil Sander collaborated with outdoors brand Arc'teryx
Arc'teryx is a Canadian apparel company specializing in outdoor apparel and equipment headquartered in North Vancouver, British Columbia. It focuses on technical apparel for mountaineering and Alpine sports, including related accessories. The com ...
on a collection of men’s, women’s and unisex clothing.
Campaigns
Jil Sander has been working with several high-profile photographers for its advertisement campaigns, including Francesco Scavullo
Francesco Scavullo (January 16, 1921 – January 6, 2004) was an American fashion photography, fashion photographer best known for his work on the covers of ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' for over three decades, and his celebrity portr ...
(1977), Nick Knight (1991–1993), Peter Lindbergh
Peter Lindbergh (born Peter Brodbeck; 23 November 1944 – 3 September 2019) was a German fashion photographer and film director.
He had studied arts in Berlin and Krefeld, and exhibited his works before graduation. In 1971, he turned to phot ...
(1993–1994), Craig McDean
Craig McDean (born 1964 in England) is a British fashion photographer, originally from Middlewich, now based in New York City.
Life
McDean originally trained and worked as a car mechanic before studying photography at Mid Cheshire College (OND ...
(1995–1996, 2001), Bruce Weber (1997), David Sims (1997–1999, 2003–2006), Mario Sorrenti (2000), Richard Avedon
Richard Avedon (May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004) was an American fashion and portrait photographer. He worked for ''Harper's Bazaar'', '' Vogue'' and '' Elle'' specializing in capturing movement in still pictures of fashion, theater and ...
(2002–2003), Mikael Jansson (2003), Wim Wenders
Ernst Wilhelm "Wim" Wenders (; born 14 August 1945) is a German filmmaker and photographer, who is a major figure in New German Cinema. Among the honors he has received are prizes from the Cannes Film Festival, Cannes, Venice International Film ...
(2018) and Joel Meyerowitz
Joel Meyerowitz (born March 6, 1938) is an American street, portrait and landscape photographer. He began photographing in color in 1962 and was an early advocate of the use of color during a time when there was significant resistance to the ide ...
(2021). For its "Sunlight" fragrance, the brand's campaign featured actress Susan Sarandon
Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actor. With a career spanning over five decades, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition to ...
in 2018.
Recognition
* 2011 – Design Museum
The Design Museum in Kensington, London, England, exhibits product, industrial, graphic, fashion, and architectural design. In 2018, the museum won the European Museum of the Year Award. The museum operates as a registered charity, and all fund ...
's Brit Insurance Design Award
See also
* Jil Sander
Heidemarie Jiline "Jil" Sander (; born 27 November 1943) is a German minimalist fashion designer and the founder of the Jil Sander (brand), Jil Sander fashion house.
Early life and education
Heidemarie Jiline Sander was born in Wesselburen on 2 ...
* Raf Simons
Raf Jan Simons (; born 12 January 1968) is a Belgian fashion designer. Beginning in furniture design, Simons launched his own menswear label in 1995. He was creative director at Jil Sander (2005–2012), Christian Dior (2012–2015), and Calvin Kl ...
* Prada
Prada S.p.A. (, ; ) is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding ...
* OTB Group
Only The Brave, S.p.A., commonly known as OTB Group, is an Italian holding multinational corporation specializing in luxury goods, headquartered in Breganze. The company was founded in 2002 by Renzo Rosso as a holding company for Diesel and f ...
References
External links
*
Official website
{{Authority control
High fashion brands
Clothing brands of Germany
Clothing brands of Italy
Clothing companies established in 1968
1968 establishments in West Germany
German companies established in 1968
Companies based in Hamburg
Companies based in Milan
Manufacturing companies based in Milan
Shoe companies of Italy
Shoe companies of Germany
Bags (fashion)
Companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Design companies established in 1968