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Jil Sander - Fit for a 'Chic Public Appearance'
By J. J. Martin
Photos by Gruber-FWD
MILAN, Jan 14, 2003 /FWD/ --- In the Jil Sander runway show last Sunday in Milan,
creative director Milan Vukmirovic started out with a drumroll of sporty looks,
which the designer says "are a flash of the future."
Although Vukmirovic seems to be looking forward, these are the clothes that his loyal
flock of followers will surely want to wear today.
The brief run paid an updated tribute to fashion's current obsession with all things sporty,
staging looks that struck that delicate balance between "casual enough not to care" and
"dressed up enough to make a chic public appearance."
Throughout the mix, slim jackets whiffed faintly of the ski slopes in the ‘70s or ‘80s,
although Vukmirovic was quick to point out that "this is by no means retro."
Certainly the metallic puffer jackets, stenciled with star stitching on the reverse side,
were up to the minute, but best were the pants, sparkling with the sheen of nylon and a
smattering of trendy details like white piping and button-flanked legs.
Vukmirovic's brush with the future of men's casual gear was followed by the crust of the
collection - sleek, subtle clothes that paid homage to the designer's passion for music.
"I was looking to Bowie, Jagger, Nirvana," explained the designer after the show, "but also
to new groups like ‘The Lifted,’ one of Vukmirovic's recent favorites, whose tunes graced
the show's soundtrack.
The collection did get an injection of rock and roll, but it was a subtle one.
These were clothes to befit a sophisticated crooner ready to make an on-stage appearance
in motorcycle-styled leather jeans and long, shaved mink coat.
Experimenting with new, voluminous shoulders and arming his tailored looks with zips, padding
and layers, Vukmirovic explained that the tailoring this season was "built up so as to provide
protection to the clothing."
Some of the sleek suits saw this detailing; others, like the rich velvet ones (which
will surely do well at retail) were simplified a trifle too far to make a real pop
at show time.
But when referencing the subtle chic for which Jil Sander is famed, Vukmirovic delivered.
Memorable, to say the least, was an oversized black and white striped mink scarf set off
on a white cashmere coat whose close shavings gave off a brilliant striped effect.
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