Jil Sander A/W 2019 Paris Fashion Week Men's

Jil Sander A/W 2019. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans

(Image credit: Jason Lloyd-Evans)

last updated 15 July 2022

Mood board: Husband-and-wife designers Luke and Lucie Meier looked to create balance, pairing sharp tailoring with a softened approach to building a modern wardrobe. The cerebral minimalism of the label’s founder has been through a few hands in the last decade and its current gatekeepers are closer to defining their own epoch. Theirs is a language rooted in utilitarian standards; monochromatic elegance. For A/W 2019 they showed hand-stitched canvas structuring within tailored coats; patchwork silks and knits. A calfskin pair of slim trousers with matching casual cut shirt set the mood. It was icy and cool.

Best in show: The silhouette was narrowed and geometric as is their wont – at OAMC, Luke Meier pushes a workwear narrative in pale colours – at Sander, the line is more flowing. Contemporary menswear takes most of its shape from military designs. The bomber jacket, for example, became standard issue for the U.S. Air Corp in 1931, long before it was a staple piece in men’s wardrobes. The duo gently padded outerwear to give it bounce. The clothes had the hallmarks of functional uniforms but with a modernist metier.

Finishing touches: Uniforms inspired more than just the pockets or button placement on jackets. Accessories borrowed heavily from the accoutrements and insignia worn by army personnel, with sleek leather box bags slung across the body, attached to belts. Elsewhere, trench coats were layered over suiting as if ready for their marching orders. A backpack was knitted into the back of a jumper. Trousers were cuffed.

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London based writer Dal Chodha is editor-in-chief of Archivist Addendum — a publishing project that explores the gap between fashion editorial and academe. He writes for various international titles and journals on fashion, art and culture and is a contributing editor at Wallpaper*. Chodha has been working in academic institutions for more than a decade and is Stage 1 Leader of the BA Fashion Communication and Promotion course at Central Saint Martins. In 2020 he published his first book SHOW NOTES, an original hybrid of journalism, poetry and provocation.