Minimalism has always been Jil Sander’s calling card. The creator of the brand built her reputation by going against the grain, stripping clothes of excess when fashion was obsessed with decoration. Inspired by Bauhaus principles of form and function, she defined a radical vision of simplicity that still shapes the house’s DNA today. That legacy set the stage for Simone Bellotti’s debut as creative director at Spring/Summer 2026 in Milan.
Showing at the brand’s historic Piazza Castello headquarters, Bellotti delivered a collection that stayed true to Sander’s minimalist codes while giving them a subtle twist. Cropped knits in blocks of colour, sharp leather jackets, pencil skirts with clean slits, and double-faced coats cut to perfection signaled a confident start. Flashes of electric blue, a clear nod to the Raf Simons era, added just enough disruption to keep the restraint from feeling too safe.
The collection’s strength was its clarity. Each look carried precision without decoration, structure without stiffness. Bellotti chose to emphasise tailoring and proportion, creating clothes that feel protective yet modern, luxurious yet grounded. Even the choice to return to Piazza Castello after eight years underscored his intent to respect history while moving forward.
Bellotti’s debut wasn’t about reinventing Jil Sander overnight, but about re-grounding it. By channeling the purity of the brand’s roots and adding his own touches of structure and playfulness, he reminded us why minimalism, when done with conviction, still feels powerful. For a house known as the Queen of Less, S/S 2026 proved that less remains more.