Jil Sander Fall/Winter 2011

After going through neons, florals and knit, Raf Simons' Fall 2011 collection for the house of Jil Sander ended up right where it began- black.
The collection was tailored in bold volumes enhanced by down-filled garments ranging from voluptuous skirts to oversized jackets; certainly, what started as minimal, ended up maximal in very little time.
There was a lot of black, but it served to set off the oh-so-beautiful colors: red, royal blue, yellow and green, as well as an old-fashioned granny-like floral print.
Knitwear played a major role with chunky two-tone sweaters and bright pullovers with geometric designs.
Indeed, this was a winning collection; one certainly designed for a confident, non-fussy woman. Full of clean, sharp line, and bold, architectural silhouettes and cuts, this collection was atypical of Simons, a designer who does exactly what he wants to do, when he wants to do it- crisp, un-trendy and completely now.

Raf Simons Fall 2011 Menswear

There is a reason Raf Simons is one of my favourite menswear designers, and perusing these 30-odd looks in his 2011 menswear collection only reinforced this.
Through odd shapes, architecture was the base from which Simons worked his clothes, imbuing colour and verve through-out. I loved the coats, let me go on record for saying that, but there was something so off-beat and modern to these pieces that I couldn't help but be in awe. And those colours? Man! With a lot of same-y looking menswear collections this season, Simons continues to prove why he is part of the future in fashion.

Jil Sander Fall/Winter 2011 Menswear

For Jil Sander's menswear fall collection in Milan, designer Raf Simons accentuated roomy jackets and outerwear with soft tweed-y fabrics and sleek shapes. Looks were mostly monochrome, and the collection itself was minimal, languid, and completely modernistic.