It is also the name of the fashion house she founded, Jil Sander AG. 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 or the trendiness of sportswear design, as exemplified by the like of Giorgio Armani and Calvin Klein.

History

Jil Sander, born Heidemarie Jiline Sander in Wesselburen near Hamburg, Germany, on 27 November 1943, grew up with her mother near Hamburg and later studied textile design in Krefeld from where she graduated as a textile engineer in 1963. Having spent two years as an exchange student at University College in Los Angeles, she worked as a fashion editor at German women's magazine Petra before opening her first boutique in a Hamburg suburb in 1967. She started out selling fashion designed by Thierry Mugler or Sonia Rykiel and also a few of her own designs. And, with few ups and downs, she founded her eponymous fashion house, Jil Sander GmbH in 1968, at the age of 24.

The JIL SANDER Look

Her trademark look, a somewhat New Look for women conquering executive positions in the 1980s, was that of a perfectly cut pantsuit, a form-fitting simple but elegant coat or a slim blouse made of the most luxurious materials in plain grey, black, blue or white leaving out any unnecessary details, extravagant ornaments or loud colors. The fact that her creations were coordinates which could all be easily combined with each other became a popular characteristic. She created the so-called onion look (Zwiebel-Look) layering various pieces of clothing in one outfit. She has been described as the Queen of Less, Cashmere-Queen, Master of Minimalism, Cool Blonde, Gentle-Jil or Fashion Reductionist.

Showing her collection in Paris in 1975 proved a complete failure, though. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the fashion world was dominated by lavish, garishly colorful and glitzy Dynasty-style designs by the likes of Claude Montana with his broad-shouldered leather look, Jil Sander's minimalist, sophisticated and strict collections, with a focus on fabric quality came close to a revolution in the fashion world and were not accepted next to the, from today's point of view, vulgar stylishness on the Parisian catwalks. Her luxurious simplicity and understated elegance only started gaining attention in the 1990s.

Success and Expansion

In the years after 1978 she revolutionized the industry by marketing her first perfume with a campaign that prominently featured her own face. The internationally successful cooperation with Lancaster Cosmetics allowed her financially to run ads in glamorous magazines on a large scale for her fashion. Later, licenses would be given for eyewear and leather accessory lines. In 1985, it was decided that her collections would be shown in Milan to more efficiently tackle the international markets. Initially much to the regret of the German media, the decision was the right thing to do. As a result, sales were steadily increasing. More fragrances were added to the cosmetics line, and the label's luxurious minimalism proved to be the hit of the mid to late 90's.