Jil Sander to Design for Uniqlo

After a 5 year hiatus from designing, Jil Sander and Uniqlo have just a announced some big news that she has jumped on board for a design consulting position with the Japanese powerhouse that is Uniqlo.

Jil Sander and Fast Retailing (which owns Uniqlo) chairman Tadashi Yana

From WWD:
Sander exited again. Now the designer, 65, is back in fashion in a segment of the market that is increasingly linking with major designers. H&M has teamed up with a string of well-known fashion names, including Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Viktor & Rolf, Roberto Cavalli and, most recently, Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons."


The high-end designer teaming up with fashion forward mega-retailers has definitely been gaining steam for a few years now but Sander's new position and name sets some serious precedent in the industry. I think this should be a great fit since even as a low price point retailer, Uniqlo is extremely innovative in design and fabrics, which has carried similar priority in Sander's line (which is now run by Raf Simons since her departure).

Looks like there will be a ton of anticipation for the upcoming seasons of Uniqlo now, the pressure is on.


-john-

via WWD