JilSanderleaveslabelagain

Jil Sander waves at the finale of her Fall 2013 show. Photo by Imaxtree.com.

Jil Sander, 69, the German designer known for her pioneering minimalist aesthetic, is once again leaving the fashion house that she founded in 1968. (The designer cited "personal reasons" for her exit.) It’s the third time that Sander has left the fashion house: she parted ways with the brand in 2000, then again in 2004. Sander
returned to the brand only last year, taking the reins from star designer Raf Simons who
moved on to Christian Dior. "Her outstanding design and creative leadership have been crucial in reinforcing the brand and positioning it to foster further prosperous growth," said Alessandro Cremonesi,  the chief executive of Jil Sander. No word yet on a successor, but it has been confirmed that the Jil Sander design team will take over full design responsibilities for the Fall 2014 show, which will be shown in February during Milan Fashion Week. We’re sad to hear the news, especially since leaving for the "third time" is likely also a synonym for "final time". Sander’s star rose in the minimalist ’90s, a decade reacting to ’80s excess. Her vision of femininity—spare but sensual, pared down but powerful—felt fresh and totally modern.  She managed to translate that message across the decades, creating clothes that looked beautiful and that women really wanted to wear. Along the way, Sander influenced many of the most important designers working today, including Phoebe Philo at Céline. We’ll miss her singular vision on the ready-to-wear catwalk. But could this mean she’ll design for Uniqlo again? Fingers crossed.
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