Jil Sander returns with 1st womenswear collection

Black is black white is white, a jacket is a jacket, a blouse is a blouse, and a skirt or trouser is a skirt or trouser. After founding the company in the late 1960s she came and left it several times before taking it back in spring 2012, and showing her first menswear in June.

The warm applause Saturday at the end of her spring-summer 2013 collection — her first womenswear line since returning to her eponymous label — showed the fashion crowd was glad to have her back. After the show however, some were overheard saying they missed Raf.

The Belgian designer has since gone on to Dior, taking the place of John Galliano, who left the maison in disgrace more than a year ago.

For her women's comeback debut, Sander concentrated on volume games, creating an interplay between abundance and fittedness, often showing a slim back paired with a bold front. As usual, she only used fabric of the highest quality.

Along with different forms to choose from, ranging from tapered to conic, from straight up and down to sculpted and curvy, the collection was highly wearable.