If bold minimalism is your style preference then you will love Jil Sanders S/S ready to wear 2011 collection.  Jil Sander’s leading designer Raf Simons plays with volume and proportion and creates striking exaggerated silhouettes. Skirts are dramatic – gathered at the waist, long and voluptuous. Trousers are extra wide. Jackets and overcoats are clean-cut and boxy. Despite the voluptuousness, there’s a strong  sense of structure in the garments. It kind of references 1960’s couture.

Simons shows a fresh approach combining the striking tulip skirts and enormous pants with basic white tank tops and T-shirts.  Simons includes some wide stripes and dynamic floral prints in the collection but most of it is bold block colour. The colours are wild: you’ll find bright salmon pink, deep purple, electric blue and neon yellow. ‘Maximal’ colours in combination with minimal shapes results in a sense of modern elegance.

The handbags made out of leather and vinyl resembles a common plastic grocery bag. Could this be the next big thing? Haute or not that is the question…

A rather original music was played at the show, the soundtrack from ‘’Psycho’’ and some tunes of Busta Rhymes, it worked really well with the way this collection was presented.

Although I am usually not that fascinated by bold minimalism, I must admit Raf Simons is a master of his trade and just created one of the best Jil Sander collections in a long time.

by Ilze Skestere