Cathy Horyn:
The scene at the end of the Jil Sander show — Raf Simons’s last for the house — was moving and spontaneous, and certainly not like anything I’ve experienced in 25 years of covering the industry.
At the end of a remarkable collection that quietly evoked the hours in a couple’s domestic life, from a woman’s morning lingerie to gorgeous wool coats and black cocktail dresses, the audience gave Mr. Simons a standing ovation. He acknowledged the gesture with a smile and wave and then disappeared backstage, which was closed to guests because he wanted to avoid a heavy emotional scene and questions about his departure.
After Mr. Simons ducked out of sight, the audience gathered on the low, rectangular stage and moved toward the backstage entrance, applauding the entire time. The German press section was particularly loud. People stood on the runway and kept applauding for about a minute, and then Mr. Simons came out again, his face streaked with tears.
Giuseppe Cacace/Agence France-Presse