OTB Group announced today that Simone Bellotti will be joining Jil Sander as Creative Director. The announcement follows the departure of co-creative directors Luke and Lucie Meier last month.
Jil Sander Appoints Simone Bellotti as New Creative Director
The exit of Jil Sander co-creative directors Luke and Lucie Meier was confirmed after their autumn 2025 fashion show during Milan Fashion Week. Serge Brunschwig, previously chairman and CEO of Fendi, was named CEO of Jil Sander and chief strategy officer of OTB. Today, Simone Bellotti has been appointed as the new creative director of Jil Sander.
“Simone embarks on this journey with extensive experience and a distinct talent,” said Renzo Rosso, chairman of OTB Group, announced on LinkedIn. “Over the time spent together we shared the strategic vision and mission for Jil Sander, the values of innovation and sophistication that make it an iconic and unique brand.”
Bellotti’s debut collection for Jil Sander is highly anticipated as fashion editors debate how he will combine the historical brand codes with modern design, and redefine the brand legacy. His extensive experience in luxury fashion and craftsmanship positions him as the perfect fit to carry Jil Sander’s legacy forward while integrating it with fresh design codes.
“I am incredibly honoured to join Jil Sander, a storied house that created a new aesthetic with its unique approach and strong identity, and that has always had such a significant influence on the design community,” said Simone Bellotti. “I am grateful to Renzo for the trust, and I am keen to contribute to the house’s full potential.”
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Who Is Simone Bellotti?
Born in Giussano, Lombardy, in 1978, Simone Bellotti graduated from the prestigious Politecnico di Milano and launched his career in 2001 as an assistant designer for AF Vandervorst in Antwerp before returning to Italy to work at Gianfranco Ferré. Subsequently he held senior design positions at luxury fashion brands Dolce & Gabbana, Bottega Veneta, and Gianfranco Ferré before a sixteen-year tenure at Gucci.
Over time, Simone bELLOTTI developed a keen obsession for detail, interpreting archival references with innovative directions. A passion for research informs his eye, as he draws on art, photography, and music for inspiration. In October 2022, Bellotti joined Swiss luxury brand Bally as design director and was promoted to creative director in May 2023 after Rhuigi Villaseñor’s exit. During his impactful tenure, he refreshed the quiet luxury brand by integrating its heritage with modern designs. bally was recently acquired by US-based investment firm Regent, from JAB, the investment arm of Germany’s Reimann family.
Per BoF: “Bellotti’s collections — which delivered a textured, innovative interpretation of Swiss identity, combining rigorous engineering with references to Dada and green Alpine landscapes — turned the once stale brand into a hot ticket at Milan Fashion Week.”
Jil Sander through the years
Launched in 1968 by German fashion designer Jil Sander, the eponymous quiet luxury brand is dedicated to modern design and innovation, combining elegance and functionality, invention and purity of form, exceptional craftsmanship and advanced production techniques.
The fashion house presented its first women’s collection in Hamburg in 1973. The clean-lined designs signalled luxury clothes for a new generation of businesswomen. Three years later, Jil Sander GmbH was founded in Hamburg. In 1994, the brand’s first showroom opened in Milan, later becoming the creative and operative headquarters of the company.
The first Jil Sander men’s collection was presented in Milan in January 1997, introducing a very specific vision, through clear yet comfortable cuts and extremely refined tailoring. With a creative legacy of streamlined purity, the brand has pioneered a different conception of luxury and elegance, enriching the world of fashion with a distinctive voice and an original approach to design.
In March 2021, Jil Sander was acquired by OTB Group and is working towards the goals set by the Group Sustainability Strategy. “Be Responsible. Be Brave” is OTB’s vision for a more responsible fashion system, guiding its collective work to reduce their impact on the planet.
“In 2023, OTB reported a €1.9 billion turnover, 33.8 percent direct channel growth and a grand total of 610 direct stores globally”, per Vogue Business. “Jil Sander, which is creatively directed by the husband and wife team Luke and Lucie Meier, recorded a 17.3 per cent growth in that same period.” Jil Sander’s revenue for 2024 has not been disclosed.
In line with the Group’s retail expansion strategy, Jil Sander opened the new Ginza-Tokyo flagship store, which, with a surface of over 1,000 square metres. To extend the brand’s presence into new product categories, Jil Sander launched its first Fine Jewellery Collection in December 2024. This line strengthens Jil Sander’s modern, sophisticated portfolio and positioning in the luxury sector. In January 2025, two years after renewing the licensing agreement with Coty, Jil Sander launched its first premium fragrance collection, officially entering the haute parfumerie segment.
Jasmeen Dugal is Associate Editor at FashionABC, contributing her insights on fashion, technology, and sustainability. She brings with herself more than two decades of editorial experience, working for national newspapers and luxury magazines in India.
Jasmeen Dugal has worked with exchange4media as a senior writer contributing articles on the country’s advertising and marketing movements, and then with Condenast India as Net Editor where she helmed Vogue India’s official website in terms of design, layout and daily content. Besides this, she is also an entrepreneur running her own luxury portal, Explosivefashion, which highlights the latest in luxury fashion and hospitality.
