Top image: Lucie and Luke Meier, courtesy of Jil Sander.

Today, Jil Sander announced the appointment of husband-and-wife duo Lucie and Luke Meier as creative directors, following the departure of Rodolfo Paglialunga last month.

Having first met at the Florence fashion school Polimoda, this move marks the first time the couple have worked together: Lucie has previously worked for Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton and Dior, whilst Luke is the cofounder of menswear brand OAMC. “We feel proud and honoured to join this beautiful brand. To be able to work on this side by side makes this opportunity even more special to us,” said Lucie and Luke Meier. “We hope to show the affection we have for this brand through our work, as Jil Sander has had such a profound influence on our paths.”

Renowned for its controlled and minimalist ethos, in recent years the brand has seen founder Jil Sander leaving and returning to the company three times before stepping down permanently in 2013, leaving Paglialunga at the helm. This new appointment is a brave step considering the duo’s relatively unknown profiles – however this is a growing trend since Alessandro Michele‘s appointment, and subsequent success, at Gucci.

“Lucie and Luke possess an intimate connection and a deep understanding of the brand,”stated Alessandra Bettari, CEO of the brand. “They hold a vision which is modern, cohesive, and in touch with what is relevant now and they beautifully combine it with a subtle sensibility for fabrics, garment construction, and detail definition. I expect the creation of very clever collections and a world to be inspired by.”

The new creative directors will work across both menswear and womenswear, adopting the house’s coed format. They will present their debut collection during SS18 women’s fashion week in Milan – definitely one to keep an eye on this upcoming season.