JIL SANDER CONTINUES ITS ENGAGING SPATIAL STORYTELLING WITH AN ANCIENT GREECE-INSPIRED RUNWAY
Photo Jules Toulet
24 mar 2022, for frame
Location
Via Giovanni Cena, 6, 20135 Milano MI, Italy
Design, Production
Brand
Music
Ancient Greece saw a revival in the set design for Jil Sander's AW22 womenswear show, which took place in an under-construction Milan building.
Key features
Jil Sander continued its collaboration with Paris studio Back of the House to unveil its AW2022 womenswear collection. The Milan show took place in a space inspired by Ancient Greece, enclosed by cream-coloured curtains and stark white flooring. Back of the House borrowed the set’s floorplan from that of ancient Greek sports arenas, like Athens’ Panathenaic Stadium. Conceived as a U-shape track, the runway’s inner field was filled with plaster copies of era-appropriate sculptures, sourced from a variety of workshops in Italy. In close proximity to the action, spectators were sat on cubical chairs which have been utilized twice previously for Jil Sander shows, most recently at its AW22 menswear event.
Frame's take
Back of the House’s deceptively simple set encompasses multilayered storytelling. The practice often venues as a direct narrative tool, and the Jil Sander AW22 womenswear set proves a show space doesn’t need to be purely decorative or stick to a linear narrative to be moving. By incorporating scenography elements typically found in the theatre, the design created an atmosphere affective to both performer and audience member, immersing them in the soft colours and romanticism of a lost culture.