Her real name is Heidemarie Jiline Sander, and she was born in Wesselburen, Germany in 1943. Her father was in the German army fighting on the Russian front, her mother had fled from the bombing in Hamburg.
Jil Sander is a German fashion designer known for understated and sleek designs, luxurious fabrics and her perfume line. Her minimalist trademarks include striking silhouettes, high-end fabrics, and meticulous detail, emphasizing quality over flash. Her work descends from that of Coco Chanel, as opposed to the bleeding-edge esthetic of Lagerfeld and Gaultier.
She perceived a need for understated clothes with a sense of quiet inner self-confidence, but which would provide the wearer with the ultimate in fit, quality and modernity.Jil Sander also experimented with new materials such as silver-laminated linen, which she felt to be much more subtle than straightforward silver.
Jil Sander's success continued into the mid-1990s. Her company survived the economic crisis in Asia. She found success with a newly launched men’s collection that had been postponed several times before in 1997 and was described as "precision-cut with an emphasis upon light fabrics.
In May 2005, the house announced that Raf Simons, shown here on the left, would be the new creative director from July 1st 2005, for womens and menswear collections. Born in 1968 in Neerpelt, Belgium, Raf Simons has been principally known for his menswear which started in 1995.
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