Jil Sander to Depart Namesake Brand for Personal Reasons

MILAN, Italy — Designer Jil Sander is set to leave her namesake brand for the third time for "personal reasons," according to the company. A replacement for Sander was not announced and the upcoming Fall/Winter 2014 collection will be designed by the brand's in-house team.

After an eight-year absence, Sander returned to the house bearing her name in February 2012, succeeding Raf Simons, who was the brand's creative director since 2005.

Alessandro Cremonesi, Jil Sander’s chief executive, said in a statement: "On behalf of the group, I want to thank Jil Sander for her remarkable contribution to the brand over this period. Her outstanding design and creative leadership have been crucial in reinforcing the brand and positioning it to foster further prosperous growth."

Sander founded the brand, known for its minimalist aesthetic, in Hamburg, Germany, in 1968. In 1999, she sold 75 percent of her company to Prada Group, staying on as creative director and chairwoman, but unexpectedly resigned shortly afterwards, following disagreements with Prada CEO Patrizio Bertelli.

She returned to the label in May 2003, after Bertelli called a truce, but left again after just two collections, citing insurmountable differences.

In the intervening years, the brand changed hands two more times. In February of 2006, Change Capital Partners acquired the label from Prada Group. Two years later, it was sold to Japan's Onward Holdings.