Architecturally-minded Lucie and Luke Meier have an affinity for extravagantly sized spaces. For the duo’s debut S/S 2018 show as creative directors of Jil Sander, they showcased their summer vision outdoors in a yet-to-open shopping centre in a Zaha Hadid-designed residential tower. Last season, their atmospheric S/S 2020 offering was shown inside an open-air courtyard at Pinacoteca di Brera, a baroque arch-lined art gallery and cultural institution in Milan, against a ten tonne installation of gravel, formed from mounds of stone.
Industrially inclined for autumn, the Meiers chose a recently refurbished former thermo-electric station on Via Bramante in Milan for their A/W 2020 show location. It once belonged to the State Electricity Company, and Sander is the first brand to hold a fashion show there. ‘We love the space because it’s a work in progress,’ they explain. ‘We’re here for a fleeting moment and we like the temporary essence.’ The concrete and steel-clad space will soon become the exhibition site of ADI, the Associazione per il Design Industriale.
RELATED STORY
The duo were also attracted to the venue for its expanse. ‘The volume of the space is the most important connection as we are able to accentuate the movement of the clothes,’ they say of the serendipity between venue and collection, which featured A-shaped coats, dresses in floating silk jacquard and taffeta with voluminous pleated sleeves and a handmade cape made of gauzy silk and viscose fringes.
In a final theatrical flourish, the space was populated with mismatched vintage chairs sourced in France and Italy. As each of the models strode down the catwalk they settled on one of the wooden seating options which lined the centre of the runway. The show may have been a transient moment and it’s venue in a state of flux, but the clothes that featured on the catwalk will last a lifetime.
Jil Sander A/W 2020 show set
Jil Sander A/W 2020 show set
INFORMATION
-
Find yourself at Six Senses Kyoto, the brand's breathtaking Japan debutSix Senses Kyoto opens its doors boasting tranquil, luxurious interiors by Blink Design Group
-
Shigeru Ban’s mini Paper Log House welcomed at The Glass House'Shigeru Ban: The Paper Log House' is shown at The Glass House in New Canaan, USA as the house museum of American architect Philip Johnson plays host to the Japanese architect’s model temporary home concept
-
Artist Mickalene Thomas wrestles with notions of Black beauty, female empowerment and love'Mickalene Thomas: All About Love’, a touring exhibition, considers Black female representation
-
Celine Saint Honoré is dedicated to Hedi Slimane’s feats of savoir-faire and craftThe Celine store on Rue Saint-Honoré is designed to capture the spirit of Paris, showcasing the house’s most precious offering. Here, Wallpaper* captures Celine’s couture, Haute Maroquinerie and Haute Parfumerie collections in the luxurious space
-
Exhibition to explore the Bloomsbury Group through fashionSupported by Dior, Charleston’s ‘Bring No Clothes’ explores the Bloomsbury Group’s use of – and influence on – fashion, featuring works by Dior, Fendi, Comme des Garçons and more, alongside original clothing and ephemera
-
Summer games, from pétanque to pool floats, get a fashionable spinFrom a luxurious pétanque set to pool floats and playing cards, summer games and toys from the world’s best-known fashion houses
-
Canada Goose and Central Saint Martins celebrate next-generation changemakers in new London exhibition‘Keeping the Planet Cold’ – running from 17-21 February 2023 at London’s Lethaby Gallery – celebrates exceptional BA and MA fashion students in the field of sustainable and purpose-driven design
-
Mud pits to giant flowers, the best runway sets of S/S 2023The most transporting show sets of the S/S 2023 season, from Demna’s pit of mud at Balenciaga to a giant fibreglass anthurium flower at Loewe
-
New short film takes you behind the scenes at Margaret HowellA Working Space provides a behind-the-scenes look at 34 Wigmore Street, Margaret Howell’s London headquarters, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year
-
Samuel Ross announces fourth chapter of Black British Artist Grant ProgrammeAwarding Black British talent across design disciplines, this week designer Samuel Ross of A-Cold-Wall* launches the latest edition of his artist grant programme which is accepting applications now
-
In Memoriam: Issey Miyake (1938 – 2022)We remember fashion designer Issey Miyake, who has died aged 84
