Bellotti's Hamburg soundscapes: A preview of his Jil Sander debut
Simone Bellotti brings Jil Sander back to Hamburg. But what does the new creative director's debut sound like and what does it reveal about his future direction for the brand?
Even before his official catwalk debut as creative director of Jil Sander_ Bellotti has offered a first glimpse into his vision. Instead of a fashionable tour de force_ the Italian fashion designer opted for an atmospheric video called "Wanderlust"_ which focused on music and the Hanseatic city of Hamburg.
Bellotti paid homage to the label's origins_ returning to the place where Heidemarie Jiline "Jil" Sander opened her first boutique in 1968. The designer's decision to choose Hamburg and turn his back on Milan_ at least for now_ seems more than symbolic. It appears as a programmatic indication of how seriously he takes the house's DNA. In an industry where changes in creative leadership are often accompanied by great theatrical pathos_ this debut seems almost decelerated but by no means powerless. On the contrary_ the video seems like a quiet prelude with the potential for a long reverberation.
Preview without fashion
For his first preview of his vision for Jil Sander_ Bellotti not only decided against Milan_ but also largely against fashion in the classic sense. Clothing took a backseat to a vision defined more by music and atmosphere. The video is accompanied by a previously unreleased track by the Italian composer Bochum Welt_ whose real name is Gianluigi Di Costanzo. He is an artist with a German-sounding alias_ whose music oscillates between technoid melancholy and intellectual electronica.
This choice hardly seems accidental. Rather_ it suggests that this very field of tension – Germany and Italy_ intellectualism and nostalgia – could also shape Bellotti's own signature.
Like the brand itself_ the chosen music appears intellectual_ minimalist and permeated with emotional undertones. These are qualities that correspond to both Hamburg's architecture and Jil Sander's purist approach.
The titles of the vinyl EP produced especially for this project – available in Jil Sander stores from August – also tell of inner tensions and contrasts: Crystal Ice; Wanderlust; Shades; Night_s Frost; San Peder a Sent; More Light (Escape Mix); and Cresting Waves seem like sonic musings on day and night_ standstill and movement_ urbanity and nature. These are themes that could also shape Bellotti's debut collection.
The video itself also appears reduced_ but rich in symbolism. Bellotti_ who previously worked at Bally and had formative stints at Carol Christian Poell and Gianfranco Ferré_ uses the return to Hamburg as more than just a historical reference. He signals a possible return to the source_ not only geographically_ but ideologically. Jil Sander has always stood for a special kind of rigour: the intellect of the Bauhaus_ the restraint of German minimalism and the sensuality of androgyny. For Bellotti_ this formula seems less a relic and more a blueprint to be further developed.
Another creative upheaval for Jil Sander
What should benefit him is his experience in dealing with traditional brands. At the Swiss label Bally_ founded in 1851_ which he most recently led as creative director_ he found subtle ways to incorporate Swiss folklore – from small cowbells to the legend of the Engadine mermaids – into his designs. He did this without alienating the brand known for its leather craftsmanship or losing his own signature.
His talent for embedding personal narratives even in the strictest brand architecture could also benefit him at Jil Sander. The challenge Bellotti now faces lies in the balance between respecting heritage and developing his own signature. Jil Sander is familiar with such creative transitions. Since the founder's first withdrawal in 2000_ the house has experienced several changes of ownership and designers: from the Italian luxury group Prada to the fashion conglomerate OTB (Only The Brave)_ from the intellectual elegance of Raf Simons to the sophisticated craftsmanship of Luke and Lucie Meier.
Now it is up to Bellotti to grapple with the brand's deep roots in German design ideals. His first collection in September will show where his creative journey will take him. However_ in Hamburg_ much already pointed to the beginning of a new chapter. One without a radical break_ but as a respectful further development.
