Jil Sander’s codes seem apparently simple, rooted in a clear vision of modern values: practicality, precision, quality, exacting standards of execution. Yet deeper complexities have always been layered beneath a surface of such essential, minimal language. All the designers appointed to work on Sander’s challenging legacy have been confronted with a creative oxymoron: trying to capture the essence of a strong vision firmly expressing the zeitgeist but also an ineffable, elusive sense of timeless flair. Jil Sander has not just been a relevant brand—it has become an actual style. It comes as no surprise that the task of reviving it has been anything but easy: results so far have been mixed.

Rodolfo Paglialunga has been at the helm since 2014. A sensible designer, he has worked on the house codes with an elegant hand. For his latest collection he drew inspiration from a military spirit that suited the austere, restrained aesthetic of the brand. Unsurprisingly, outerwear made up the lion’s share. Roomy coats in thick grey wool with high funnel necks had harnesses strapped across the chest; they conveyed a Teutonic grandeur with an underground, slightly perverse undercurrent. They were paired with ultra-slim trousers that enhanced their ample proportions and robust shapes. Nylon MA1 flight jackets were presented in multiple versions, morphing into sweaters or pumped up into voluminous jumpsuits. Panels of grey bonded leather were assembled into rectangular tunics with snap metallic fastening, and sleeveless long vests exposed bare arms, revealing a faint trace of fragility sneaking through an otherwise martial, sturdy, protected interpretation. The military references were handled in a balanced yet slightly twisted, androgynous way; this made for an interesting take on an otherwise predictable theme. The collection had a compact rhythm to it; it was one of Paglialunga's best so far.