MFW: Jil Sander sees the white, light

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One of the biggest surprises at Milan Fashion Week so far -- besides the sunshine and blue sky that appeared without warning over the perennially overcast city (I’ve now seen the sun shine precisely once in five visits) -- is the dearth of color. Spring/summer collections are traditionally the place to give the color wheel a spin, but this time around the vibrant hues seem to have been all but wrung out of the collections.

What wasn’t basic black and white tended to be shades of mineral -- slate browns, chalk grays, sandy taupes. Even the blues and greens were the muted shades reminiscent of weathered clapboard houses on the cape. But for some collections, when color took a backseat, texture and shape took center stage.

Jil Sander was one of those collections. In his show notes, designer Raf Simons said he was inspired by the paintings “Combat” and “Grande Composition” by Japanese artist Léonard-Tsuguharu Foujita, which were projected on the walls flanking the runway.

The cotton poplins, ultra-light taffetas and linens were so light that unlined trenchcoats (which popped up everywhere today) partially lined blazers and transparent vests seemed to enshroud the models like cloud vapor, an effect heightened by subtle, curved jacket cuffs and hems.

Several pieces, including the shirt pictured, were printed with images from the artwork, with such a light touch it was almost as if Foujita had himself applied the traditional Japanese inking with soft brush strokes. He didn’t -- he died in 1968, but his bowl cut lives on. That coif topped the entire run of models.

Even the eyewear collection underscored the feeling of weightlessness, with lenses suspended from metallic frames.

Metal also appeared in very subtle edging on necklines and collars, giving some pieces the feeling of Roman tunics.

In the hands of a lesser talent, the collection could have come across as a huge bore, but Simons managed to make the clothes feel freeing and effortless.

And that’s no mean feat when those clothes included a short-sleeve shirt buttoned all the way up to the Adam’s apple.

-- Adam Tschorn

More Photos from the Jil Sander Men’s Spring/Summer 2009 Runway Collection

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