Jil Sander

Jil Sander has been owned by Italian luxury group OTB (Only The Brave), Renzo Rosso’s family-controlled holding, since 2021 when OTB acquired the brand from Japanese parent Onward Holdings. The transaction added Jil Sander to the OTB portfolio that includes Diesel, Marni, Maison Margiela, and Viktor & Rolf, positioning the German minimalist house alongside other niche luxury fashion brands under Renzo Rosso’s strategic control. Onward Holdings had owned Jil Sander since 2008 after acquiring it from Prada Group (which had held it from 1999 to 2006).

Jil Sander was founded in 1968 in Hamburg by Heidemarie Jiline Sander, who introduced minimalist clean-line architecture and tailored silhouettes that became defining elements of the brand identity. Founder Jil Sander departed the company three times (1999, 2004, 2013) over creative differences with successive corporate owners. Husband-and-wife duo Lucie and Luke Meier have served as co-creative directors since 2017, building consistent critical reception and commercial momentum that contributed to OTB’s 2021 acquisition decision. Production runs through Italian manufacturing infrastructure shared with other OTB brands.

Jil Sander operates approximately 50 directly run boutiques and shops-in-shop across luxury capitals (Milan, Paris, Tokyo, New York, London, Seoul, Shanghai, Hong Kong), supported by department store concessions at premium retailers and a controlled wholesale network. The brand expanded retail presence in Asia particularly during the Meier era. For mall operators, Jil Sander is a flagship-only counterparty in tier-1 luxury wings, with leasing decisions routed through OTB Group’s commercial organization in Breganze, Italy. New Jil Sander store openings are part of OTB’s broader luxury portfolio strategy rather than independent brand-level expansion plans.