Jil Sander facts for kids

Jil Sander (born 27 November 1943) is a famous German fashion designer. She is known for her simple, clean, and elegant designs, often called "minimalist." She also started her own fashion company, Jil Sander.

Early Life and School

Jil Sander was born in Wesselburen, Germany, on November 27, 1943.

She studied at the Krefeld School of Textiles until 1963. Then, she went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as an exchange student from 1963 to 1964. After UCLA, she moved to New York and worked as a fashion writer for magazines. When she was 21, she returned to Hamburg, Germany. This was after her father sadly passed away when he was 52.

Her Fashion Career

Starting Her Own Fashion Brand

Jil Sander started her own fashion company, Jil Sander, in Hamburg, Germany, in 1968. She began by using her mother's sewing machine. Her very first collection was for a chemical company called Hoechst, using their special Trevira fabric. In 1973, she launched her first collection under her own brand name.

In 1975, her first collection shown in Paris was not very popular. But Jil Sander didn't give up! By the end of the 1980s, her company was so successful that it was listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, her brand grew very popular around the world. Many famous stores, like Linda Dresner in New York and Joan Burstein in London, helped her designs reach more people. By 1995, the Jil Sander company made $114 million in sales.

Working with Prada

In 1999, the Prada Group bought 75% of Jil Sander's company. Jil Sander stayed on as the main designer and became the chairwoman of the new partnership. However, just six months later, in January 2000, Jil Sander suddenly left her roles. This happened after some disagreements with Prada's CEO, Patrizio Bertelli. After she left, many of her design and production team also resigned. The Jil Sander company then faced financial difficulties, losing money for the first time in 2001.

In May 2003, Jil Sander made a surprising return to her company as the head designer. She came back after her agreement not to work for a competitor had ended. Prada's CEO, Patrizio Bertelli, had previously said that the Jil Sander brand was strong enough without its founder. But he later reached out to her, and they agreed for her to return. She signed a six-year contract and also received a share in the company.

However, in November 2004, Jil Sander decided to leave Prada and her company again. This was due to ongoing differences with Mr. Bertelli. Both sides stated that the decision to end her involvement was friendly. After this, she focused on her work with Uniqlo. She did return to her brand one more time in February 2012, but she left again in October 2013.

Designing for Uniqlo

On March 17, 2009, Jil Sander announced she was starting her own fashion consulting company. Her first client was Fast Retailing from Japan, which owns the Uniqlo clothing brand. Jil Sander helped design special collections for Uniqlo called +J. She oversaw both women's and men's clothing.

The first +J collection for autumn and winter 2009-10 was launched on October 1, 2009. It included about 40 pieces for men and 100 for women, such as coats, jackets, and knitwear. These designs showed Jil Sander's classic simple style and calm colors.

The second +J collection for spring and summer was released in December 2009 and January 2010. After three successful years, Jil Sander and Uniqlo decided not to continue their partnership after 2011. The last collection from their collaboration was for Fall/Winter 2011. Both parties said the decision was mutual.

The popular +J collection returned to Uniqlo stores in Fall/Winter 2014 and Spring/Summer 2015. These collections featured some of the best designs from their previous collaborations.

Jil Sander worked with Uniqlo again for the autumn-winter season in 2020, creating new collections for men and women.

In 2021, the Jil Sander brand itself was taken over by an Italian fashion company called OTB Group.

Recognition

Jil Sander has received an important award from Germany, the Bundesverdienstkreuz, for her great work in the fashion world.

In March 2013, The Guardian newspaper listed her as one of the fifty best-dressed people over 50. She is often called the "Queen of Less" because of her simple and elegant designs.

Images for kids

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  Jil Sander fashion house in Hamburg

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  Jil Sander corporate logo

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  Jil Sander for Uniqlo, Spring-Summer 2011

See also

In Spanish: Jil Sander para niños