Jil Sander Menswear A/W12

With Bret Easton Ellis' American Psycho at its core, Raf Simons presented a menacing vision cloaked in a leather trench for his Jil Sander A/W12 collection. As the clock ticked down and in the cover of darkness, Simons turned his back on colour and released a corporate army through a graffiti covered white door. Leather dominated in every sense. The very first look was a wipe clean polished leather three piece ensemble that included trench, trouser and jacket topped off with greased back hair.

The sinister tone was instantly set and stayed throughout. Oversized and partially belted, the almost ever present leather coats were worn over suits to exemplify a confident manhood. With its high shine, various forms and constant use, there are moments that leave the viewer questioning whether the fabric is indeed leather and not PVC, vinyl, coated wool or something even darker. The only brief respites from this sombre suited and booted office existence could be found in the fleeting fragility afforded by the embroidery of a whale and dinosaur on green and camel knitted sweaters respectively. These were the only flashes of colour that managed to break through the blanket of black.