On September 24, 2025, the fashion world’s gaze fixed on Milan as the city’s famed Fashion Week kicked off its Spring 2026 season with a series of highly anticipated creative director debuts. Leading the charge was Simone Bellotti, who unveiled his inaugural collection for Jil Sander—a moment that not only marked a new chapter for the storied German label but also set the tone for the week’s festivities.
The show unfolded in a white, sunlit room at Piazza Castello, situated just a few meters from Jil Sander’s historic headquarters. According to Hypebeast, this location was chosen with intention, rooting Bellotti’s vision in the brand’s heritage while signaling a fresh start. The setting itself felt like a metaphor for the collection: clean, honest, and suffused with light. In his own words to Vogue, Bellotti described his approach as “pure” and “honest,” and those qualities were evident from the first look to the last.
Bellotti, who previously made his mark at Bally, wasted no time in embracing Jil Sander’s minimalist DNA. The collection opened with architectural tailoring—think geometrically paneled knee skirts, slim-fitting suits with surprisingly roomy pockets, and armor-like coats boasting bold arms and sharply tapered waists. The silhouettes nodded to the brand’s legacy of restraint and clarity, yet Bellotti introduced subtle twists that made the pieces feel contemporary and, at times, quietly subversive.
Color played a starring role in this debut. While the collection’s foundation was built on the neutrals so closely associated with Jil Sander—charcoal gray, off-white, taupe, black, and white—Bellotti injected fresh energy with unexpected pops of electric blue, primary red, and ultraviolet. A handful of looks even ventured into butter yellow and pink, adding a playful vibrancy to the otherwise composed palette. As reported by Fashionista, these hues were carefully balanced, ensuring the overall feeling of clarity and restraint remained intact.
Texture and detail were handled with equal finesse. Oversized blazers, tailored trousers, pencil skirts, and cropped mocknecks anchored the collection, each rendered in luxurious fabrics and precise cuts. Yet Bellotti wasn’t afraid to have a little fun: pants featured small, cheeky waist cutouts, while dresses played with structure through front-facing racerback designs. Elsewhere, a liquid chrome skirt shimmered under the runway lights, a floral PVC dress offered a nod to the brand’s more avant-garde past, and sheer jewel-toned numbers provided a subtle wink to the expressive prints and glam embellishments favored by Bellotti’s predecessors, Luke and Lucie Meier.
Speaking of the Meiers, their departure earlier this year after nearly a decade at the helm left big shoes to fill. Their tenure was marked by expressive prints and a certain moody glamour, especially in their final seasons. But Bellotti, as Hypebeast noted, “wiped the slate clean and let the light in,” choosing to emphasize the core of Jil Sander’s ethos. The result was a collection that felt both like a respectful homage and an exciting evolution—one that looked forward without losing sight of the brand’s Hamburg roots.
This sense of continuity was further underscored by a collaborative EP released with Bochum Welt a month prior to the show. The Hamburg-set visuals accompanying the music evoked Sander’s early days in the city, a subtle reminder of the label’s origins and enduring identity. Coincidentally, Bochum Welt’s debut album was released via Aphex Twin’s Rephlex label in 1994, the same year Jil Sander opened its first Milan showroom—now the creative heart of the company.
As the models made their way down the runway, the audience was treated to a masterclass in balance. Each look spoke of restraint and clarity, yet none felt staid or repetitive. Instead, there was a palpable sense of renewal. The collection’s minimalism was never cold or clinical; rather, it radiated a quiet confidence and an invitation to look closer, to appreciate the subtle interplay of line, color, and form.
Photography from the event, showcased in a sprawling gallery of over 55 images, captured the breadth and depth of Bellotti’s vision. Each frame told its own story, from the crisp tailoring and bold color blocking to the playful, fashion-forward details that kept the collection feeling fresh and relevant. The images, widely shared across fashion media, quickly became a talking point for industry insiders and fans alike.
But what does this all mean for Jil Sander moving forward? If Bellotti’s debut is any indication, the brand is poised for a new era defined by thoughtful innovation and a deep respect for its roots. The collection’s lighter, more refined sensibility marks a clear departure from the darker moods of previous seasons, yet it never strays into the realm of the generic or the forgettable. Instead, Bellotti’s Jil Sander feels like a brand reawakened—one that understands its history but isn’t afraid to chart its own course.
As Milan Fashion Week Spring 2026 continues, all eyes will remain on Bellotti and his contemporaries as they redefine what it means to lead a heritage house in today’s ever-evolving fashion landscape. For now, though, Jil Sander’s Spring 2026 collection stands as a testament to the power of minimalism, the importance of authenticity, and the enduring allure of a well-cut blazer (or a cheeky waist cutout, for that matter).
Sometimes, a new beginning is exactly what a storied brand needs to remind the world of its enduring relevance—and to spark a little excitement along the way.
