THE FASH PACK

How we waited for the release of Jil Sander's debut +J collection for Uniqlo. We, along with the rest of the fashion-savvy public were not at all disappointed when it hit the stores on the 1st October.

As expected, the uber sleek collection of men and womenswear designs, sold out in a hot flash so it was only a matter of time before the powers that be at Uniqlo HQ, decided to put out a second collection in time for spring. And if that wasn't enough, Sander will be expanding the collection as a result of the success of the her first offerings, and is currently said to be in New York, already working on the spring campaign.

The +J collection by Jil Sander for Uniqlo has been a triumphant success. If the queues which started forming at 8am last Thursday, was anything to go by, it was clear that the collection which, was only available in selected Uniqlo stores across the country, were going to sell out fast.

Such was the pandemonium that by the close of day, the estimated sales targets had been exceeded five times over and those who thought they could escape the madness by shopping online, were met with severe delays. The website crashed at one point in the day, as sales shot up by 1,750% more than normal daily targets. All hands were on deck at the launch including senior and junior members of staff and Amy Howarth, head of marketing, braved the hoards of shoppers to assist on the shop floor, alongside "Simon, our CEO who was working on the shop floor all day long-as were most of head office staff."

Today our wardrobes will never be the same again. Why? The +J Collection Jil Sander has designed for Uniqlo will be adorning the railings of selected Uniqlo stores around the country.

Famed for her elegant and understated designs, in which clean lines meet impeccable tailoring, expect a stampede for the 100 piece collection which features chunky knits, leather waist belted coats, sharp fitting blazers and the classic white shirt with a Jil Sander twist of course.

See more images after the jump

Like Christopher Bailey at Burberry and Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton, Raf Simons has a big job on his hands at Jil Sander. Each season he's required to stick to the brand's signature aesthetic and still manage to keep it fresh and interesting. With that in mind, I come with good news. For the brand's Spring/Summer 2010 offerings, Simons managed to do just that.

Read more after the jump

Famous for designing Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s dress for her wedding to John F. Kennedy, Jr., American fashion designer, Narciso Rodriguez, looks as though he may be following in the footsteps of Jil Sander, Thom Browne, Thakoon, Comme des Garçons and Rag & Bone - that is, to create a lower-priced clothing line. As a way of saving high-end brands in the midst of the luxury fashion downturn, it’s something that we’ve understandably seen a lot of lately.

It has been revealed that Rodriguez is in talks with eBay to design an eight-piece collection with prices ranging from $75 to $350, which he expects will allow a wider audience to buy his designs. Although an improvement on the average $2000 Narciso dress we’re used to, we expect these prices may still be a little out of most women’s price range. It is also a little hard to picture a high-end designer’s collection under the brassy eBay logo, even if it is lower-priced; better suited to ShopStyle we think!

Having been under the radar for the last few years, Jil Sander is making a well documented comeback designing a menswear and womenswear fall collection for Uniqlo, the Japanese brand better known for the luxe casual wear stocked in its 765 stores world wide.

The collection, due to hit stores on the 1st October, will be priced between £19.50 - £149.50. The collection will undoubtedly be a hit as ' her design asthetic based on classic, luxury of cloth, determined abscence of decoration, clean lines and subdued colour pallet', as described by Hilary Alexander of the Telegraph, will be apparent throughout both collections.

Those hoping to purchase pieces from the collection should be ready to fight for it.

Images via Grazia

We told you yesterday that Jil Sander's collaboration with Uniqlo - a line called +J - would hit stores this autumn with price tags starting at £15, or about $25. Women will have 100 pieces to choose from, and men will have 40.

Now, we have images (thanks to Grazia) from the new designer-meets-high-street project. If minimalism is what you're looking for after being overloaded with '80s brights, then you're in luck. Pared-down pieces like a black tuxedo-style coat, a simple grey cardigan and a classic white shirt are sure to have Jil Sander fans (who've missed her since she left her eponymous label five years ago) queueing for hours.

See more pieces from +J after the jump

Pretty soon from now, actually. Jil Sander's new Uniqlo line, +J, is set to have its first pieces in stores this October. Think you can wait?

Sander's initial collection is said to contain 140 pieces, including 100 for women and 40 for men. We like that kind of variety, and we like the budget friendliness even more. Prices start at £15, or about $25. In light of that, we say: Recession, we've found a way around you.

Model: Natasha Poly

Photographer: Willy Vanderperre

Julia Restoin-Roitfeld's ad campaign for Jil, the new Jil Sander fragrance launching in September, has now come out. What do you think of the shot?

And in case you're wondering about the perfume, its notes include pink pepper, lavender, lily of the valley, iris, mandarin, vanilla, heliotrope, amber and musk.