Simone Bellotti’s Jil Sander gets to the point

Milan Fashion Week felt like a season opener with real (high) stakes because of all the changes and resets at major fashion houses. It was Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta and Maximilian Davis at Ferragamo. In that frame, Simone Bellotti’s Jil Sander debut also got everyone holding their breath. 

The show returned to the brand’s headquarters, a former cinema reworked into a three-storey space by the Castello. The room was stripped to plain white, a single black arc mapped the runway, and Bochum Welt’s electronic score in the background added to the vibe. The coed format presented both the womenswear and menswear as part of the same package.

Silhouettes, which the German house is known for, did the talking. Jackets buttoned high and sat close to the body, with raw hems and precise folds interrupting the lines. Dresses and skirts carried clustered strips of georgette that were meant to flicker, mimicking a book’s pages.

Colour and texture added to the pieces. The palette moved from subtle neutrals into dusty pastels with an occasional bright hue like electric blues and aquamarine. 

The house flagged “armour” as the idea behind the choice of materials. Mirrored leather, metallic sequins and precious silks were folded to shield the bust and hips, hinting at the concept of protection. Accessories kept the same tenets with the label’s signature square-toed lace-ups, cut-out ballerinas, kitten-heeled brogues and pared-back sandals, and the bags followed suit with multipurpose shapes, including a new Pivot style.

With a week lined with fresh faces and debuts, Jil Sander’s move under Simone Bellotti seems like an exciting one.