ins and outs

Confirmed: Raf Simons to Leave Jil Sander

Raf Simons at his spring 2012 Jil Sander show.
Raf Simons at his spring 2012 Jil Sander show. Photo: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images

Raf Simons will step down from his position as creative director at Jil Sander on Monday, February 27. He’s held the post for the past seven years, and will present his final collection as planned on Saturday, February 25, according to a joint statement from Jil Sander and Simons.* The same statement said that his successor will be announced in a few days. (According to rumors that appear to stem from an article in the German magazine Gala, Jil Sander herself is considering a return to her eponymous label.)

This news follows reports in late 2011 that Raf Simons was in talks with Dior about taking over Galliano’s former position, which has stood vacant for a year now. Although Dior has been quiet on the subject so far, Simons’s departure from Jil Sander — where he’s been very successful — strongly intimates his appointment.

* This post has been updated to clarify the date of the Jil Sander show.