Jil Sander’s new book doesn’t just chronicle her rise—it pulls back the curtain on what made her name shorthand for a certain kind of pared-down, razor-sharp elegance. Out now from Prestel, Jil Sander by Jil Sander spans 360 pages and holds 525 color illustrations created by Irma Boom, whose own work has landed in MoMA and the Vatican Library. Inside, journalist and literary scholar Ingeborg Harms helps frame the designer’s narrative, weaving through archives that date back to her beginnings in the late ’60s.
“For decades the name Jil Sander has evoked the philosophy of less is more—a minimalist aesthetic using highest quality materials and employing exquisite craftsmanship to the effect of poetic purity,” reads the publisher’s statement. It’s a line that cuts to the core of Sander’s vision, one that took shape well before the big fashion houses learned to whisper instead of shout. The volume traces her trajectory through decades of influence, mapping out how her work, at once streamlined and considered, set the tone for the ’80s and ’90s, and how the brand shaped beauty and even found its way into fast-fashion collaboration via her +J collections with Uniqlo.
“The result is an elegant manifestation of the Jil Sander name—a story of integrity and grit, sumptuously packaged and timeless,” the publisher continues. That legacy hasn’t dimmed. Today, co-creative directors Luke and Lucie Meier—helming the label since 2017—honor the house’s roots even as they push forward, showing collections that keep the conversation going without slipping into nostalgia. In the meantime, this new tome doubles as a reminder of where it all started: a designer who believed in stripping everything down until only the essential remained.
Jil Sander by Jil Sander is available on Prestel’s webstore for $125 USD.
