Bright hues, innovative evening wear and master tailoring are only a few highlights from Raf Simons groundbreaking spring/summer 2011 collection for Jil Sander. The show that, in one’s mind, solidified the Belgium designer, trained formally in furniture design, as a force to be reckoned with in women’s fashion. Simons was always considered a leader in the menswear industry, his namesake brand is often a goldmine for trend forecasting of seasons to come, but until spring 2011 his aesthetic was largely seen as paired down and austere in the stratosphere of womenswear. His colorful collection began as a thought provoking case study on maximalism and the traditional practice of haute couture, seen through the creative eyes of fashion’s favorite ‘minimalist’. The fourty-four look collection opened with eveningwear and evolved into a beautiful garden of patterns, tailoring, and couture techniques, all tied fluidly together through Simons’ heightened sense for color this season, à la the late and great Yves Saint Laurent. The designer had some fun with accessories, showing plenty of captivating bug-eyed sunglasses and plastic shopping bags as purses, one of fashion’s favorite handbags of late, similar styles have more recently been seen on the runways of Celine and Balenciaga. This powerful show was filled with standout looks that were perfectly curated on the runway and possibly even more powerful when broken apart. Bravo Raf!
References
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Gisele Zelauy wearing Yves Saint Laurent
Harper's Bazaar, April 1990
Le Corbusier
Palace of Justice, 1952, Chandigarh, India
Kazimir Malevich
Suprematist Composition (blue rectangle over the red beam), 1916
Kaj Franck for Nuutajarvi Notsjo
Tricolored Glass Goblet
Robert Mapplethorpe
Flowers
Jacques André and Jean Prouvé
Garden Chair, 1936
Charlotte Perriand
A ‘Mexique’ Cabinet, 1953
Frank Stella
Firuzabad, 1970
Josef Albers
Homage to the Square, 1950
Josef Albers
Homage to the Square (soft spoke), 1969
Josef Albers
Homage to the Square, Glow, 1966
Kaj Franck for Nuutajarvi Notsjo
Tricolored Glass Goblets
Kaj Franck for Nuutajarvi Notsjo
Tricolored Glass Goblets
Robert Mapplethorpe
Flowers
René Prou
Chairs, 1932
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Polarized Color Series, 2010
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Polarized Color Series, 2010
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Polarized Color Series, 2010
Yves Saint Laurent
Spring/Summer 1989 Couture
Adolf Loos
Villa Muller, 1930, Prague
References
Gisele Zelauy wearing Yves Saint Laurent
Harper's Bazaar, April 1990
1 of 20
Le Corbusier
Palace of Justice, 1952, Chandigarh, India
2 of 20
Kazimir Malevich
Suprematist Composition (blue rectangle over the red beam), 1916
3 of 20
Kaj Franck for Nuutajarvi Notsjo
Tricolored Glass Goblet
4 of 20
Robert Mapplethorpe
Flowers
5 of 20
Jacques André and Jean Prouvé
Garden Chair, 1936
6 of 20
Charlotte Perriand
A ‘Mexique’ Cabinet, 1953
7 of 20
Frank Stella
Firuzabad, 1970
8 of 20
Josef Albers
Homage to the Square, 1950
9 of 20
Josef Albers
Homage to the Square (soft spoke), 1969
10 of 20
Josef Albers
Homage to the Square, Glow, 1966
11 of 20
Kaj Franck for Nuutajarvi Notsjo
Tricolored Glass Goblets
12 of 20
Kaj Franck for Nuutajarvi Notsjo
Tricolored Glass Goblets
13 of 20
Robert Mapplethorpe
Flowers
14 of 20
René Prou
Chairs, 1932
15 of 20
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Polarized Color Series, 2010
16 of 20
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Polarized Color Series, 2010
17 of 20
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Polarized Color Series, 2010
18 of 20
Yves Saint Laurent
Spring/Summer 1989 Couture
19 of 20
