Jil Sander and Cassina Reinvent Modernism in Milan

Jil Sander and Cassina explore scenographic modernism in an immersive performance during Milan Design Week.

During Milan Design Week 2025, Jil Sander joins Cassina in Staging Modernity, an innovative installation-performance at the Teatro Lirico Giorgio Gaber. Curated by the duo Formafantasma and directed by Fabio Cherstich, the project celebrates the 60th anniversary of the iconic furniture collection by Le Corbusier, Jeanneret, and Perriand, produced by Cassina. In this scenographic experience, the costumes designed by Jil Sander serve as an extension of the furniture: architectural, elegant, and functional garments, designed for movement and expression.

The collaboration reflects on modernist ideals through the body, design, and space, contrasting the rigidity of the past with a more fluid and ecological contemporary vision. Fashion here becomes a language that softens structure and adds humanity.

This project strengthens the relationship between Jil Sander and Formafantasma, who have previously collaborated on boutiques and fragrance design. It also marks Jil Sander’s return to stage costume design, a practice initiated in 1984. Under the direction of Simone Bellotti, the brand continues to explore the future of luxury with sensitivity and formal purity. Staging Modernity is not a nostalgic look but a commitment to design as an evolving art form.