March 31, 2014 |
JIL SANDER: 10 SHOWS
There’s a sequence in Fantasia, Dance of the Hours, the beginning, when Madame Upanova and her ostriches awake. Madame Upanova does so first, slowly unfurling from a ball of black and white plumage to become an elegant, poised ballerina, complete with pink bow and matching ballet shoes.
She then gently wakes the others from their slumber. When looking at the Jil Sander spring/summer collection, I’m reminded of these avian ballerinas. Maybe it’s the black and white palette with blush nudes and teals that echo the ostriches’ bows and ballet shoes. Or maybe it’s the feathers on the dresses. Or the lightness and femininity undercut by the sharp tailoring and asymmetric folds that echo the precision of a dancer’s moves. Or maybe it’s the models lying curled up in tiny monochrome balls on the runway, waiting for a hush to fall over the room before gently unfurling, stretching themselves out, to reveal the fruits of Jil’s labour, limb by limb. They could even do a pirouette to show movement.
Photographer: Jason Lloyd-Evans
By Natalie Dembinska
