Daily Front Row

2010 April 12

In The Navy

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Jil Sander Fall 2010
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(NEW YORK) Ultra-minimaliste brand Jil Sander may not be known for its use of color (with the exception of that divine neon collection for Spring 2008), but the company’s newest project is nonetheless named after a shade: Navy. Jil Sander Navy, which will launch for Spring 2011, is a lower-priced line with a more relaxed and sporty feel than Jil Sander collection. Raf Simons will also serve as creative director for Navy. “I will continue to open up the Jil Sander brand by pushing its boundaries and introducing new elements to reinforce and widen the attraction to the house," he has said.

According to Jil Sander CEO Alessandro Cremonesi, the launch is “a strategic first step to grow the Jil Sander business as we aim to reach out to a vaster clientele. Not only does it address market needs, but it will complement the pre-collections and the runway offering.” The line will be priced 40 percent below the signature line—and Cremonesi expects that the addition of the line will increase the brand’s business by 30 percent. (Currently, Jil Sander’s turnover is €100 million, or about $134 million.) The new line will focus its retail efforts in the United States and Japan, and will be carried in both Jil Sander standalone stores and department and specialty stores.