Jil Sander

Jil was born on 25 November 1943 in the German town of Wesselburen near Hamburg. She studied textile design in Krefeld and started work as the editor of a fashion magazine. At the age of 25, she started to design clothing herself and opened her first boutique. As a designer, she came up with accomplished trouser suits, elegant coats, a short blouse and other superb pieces. Everything was made using luxury materials in simple grey, blue, white and black. Her clothes are elegantly austere without any needless ornamentation and extravagance.

You may not know that it is precisely this woman we have to thank for the so-called onion look. Yes, it was Jil Sander who came up with clever layering of various garments. Jil has also been described as the Queen of Minimalism, Gentle Jil or the Cashmere Queen. All of these nicknames refer to the things which this gifted German means for the world of fashion. When Jil Sander was asked in an interview what is modern and whether it is enough to own a handbag by a famous brand as proof of one’s style, she answered: “Style is the way a person moves, how they think and of course also how they dress. Being classy means emphasising one’s own personality in such a way that you don’t look like a clothes hanger.”