Raf Simons - Jil Sander, Men's Collection S/S 2008. Paperback,
Time is out of joint. In this age of violence and chaos, nothing seems to be further away than Raf Simons' 2008 men's collection for Jil Sander. Minimal, subdued, ethereal silhouettes. Simons referred to his fourth men's collection for Jil Sander as "phosphor" because he drained it from color until all that remained was a hint of eau de nil or gray or blue to shade his spare three-button suits.
Jil Sander reportedly hired Simons because the label's sleek, simple suits were its biggest-selling hits. His talent for making suits was already evident in his eponymous menswear label. For the Jill Sander men's collections, he reverted to his tailoring expertise and played with cool graphic prints.
Tim Blanks in Vogue: 'lest his concept fade into an ether of preciousness, Simons injected some robust counterpoints in the form of earthy shades of red and green and a voluminous silhouette created by baggy, pleated trousers and shorts. For every piece that featured origamilike seaming derived from his most recent women's collection, Simons also showed a jacket that highlighted stitching inspired by workwear.'