Jil Sander’s latest collection, designed by Lucie and Luke Meier, feels like an intimate letter to the urban soul. It’s a celebration of contrasts — where the grit of city life meets poetic elegance, where the synthetic and natural collide. There’s a haunting beauty stitched into every garment, inspired by the neon-lit streets and hidden lives captured by Greg Girard’s photographs of Vancouver and pre-technological Hong Kong from the 1970s and 80s. These aren’t just clothes; they’re snapshots of real life, woven into a cinematic journey through city nights.
This collection is unapologetically urban, yet it’s deeply personal. It’s about the quiet moments that happen when no one’s looking — the tension between what we show to the world and what we keep to ourselves. The designs reflect this beautifully. Square-jacket suits, draped in Italian and Japanese wool, are sharp but softened, like someone who’s learned how to hide their edges. Georgette evening gowns with knitted, hand-crocheted flowers peek through, giving a nod to craft while still feeling cool, never fussy. It’s businesswear reimagined, softened, and humanised.
There’s a rawness to the details. Iridescent fabrics shimmer like city lights against the darkness. A floral shiny raincoat adds a romantic touch to rainy days, a reminder that even in the bleakest moments, beauty can find its way in. Low boots, salaryman moccasins, and the bold, sculptural Cannolo bag ground the collection, giving it weight and substance. Every piece feels purposeful.
It’s the balance between hard and soft, formal and casual, that defines this collection. Ringer T-shirts sit comfortably alongside georgette evening gowns, both adorned with crocheted flowers that seem to grow from the garments themselves. The contrast is striking, yet harmonious, like an eclectic cityscape coming together under one skyline.
Jil Sander’s latest is a collection for those who see beauty in the everyday. This is fashion for those who live in the in-between spaces, those who crave a little glamour with their grit, and most importantly, for those who understand that real life is never staged — it’s lived, beautifully and imperfectly.
Learn more about the collection at JilSander.com
photography. Jil Sander
words. Gennaro Costanzo
