Even Jil Sander's Cleanest Clothes Have Complexes (EXCLUSIVE)
Five models sat for portraits by Amsterdam duo Blommers & Schumm in Jil Sander’s Pre-Fall 2026 campaign. Each either glances at something out of frame or is partly hidden beneath thick shades and, as is typical for the photography duo, each tightly cropped deadpan portrait has a slightly surreal, borderline eerie mood. However, what isn’t typical is that Jil Sander also asked them to shoot portraits capturing the personalities of clothing.
Simone Bellotti, who joined Jil Sander as creative director last year, following an 18-year Gucci stint and under two years reinventing Bally, has started his Jil Sander tenure by building on the house’s original refined mission. He's forefronting a logo that's reduced down to a single word, his sneakers are streamlined to the extreme, and his sleek tailoring is designed not to attract attention but to foreground the body.
These are restrained designs, yes, but never boring. And Pre-Fall 2026, unveiled here with a picture exclusive to Highsnobiety, emphasizes the identity of each piece.
Ever wondered how your clothes would walk and talk and behave if they were able to? That’s essentially the question at the core of this campaign.
A classic long overcoat lying on the ground almost awkwardly props one shoulder up, while a brown pair of Hood shoes — a classic leather moccasin but for its slender flat sole, introduced in Bellotti’s debut collection — are full of energy, the tiny tip of the tiny sole unit being the only part touching the ground.
Meanwhile, a thick grey knit sweater’s soft fabric contorts as it slumps on a stool and a maroon leather two-piece sits upright against a metal chair. They’re each new characters, new personalities with different moods and quirks, that Bellotti is weaving into his new Jil Sander story.
But, as is expected from both Bellotti and the house he now oversees, these aren't loud and brash main characters, but rather quiet and considered types whose eccentricities unravel when examined. The perfect subject for a series of portraits.
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