The company confirmed that Sander will rejoin the company in a statement today. The designer will assume her post effective Tuesday, 28 February—the day after Simons’ official departure.

Sander said she was ‘very happy and excited’ to return to the brand she founded in 1968.

‘It feels like coming home after a brief journey,’ she said in a joint statement with the company. ‘The Jil Sander brand is ingrained in my very being, naturally, my vision of sophisticated, truly modern design stayed with me, as vivid as on the first day. Paradigms change and evolve from season to season, but the heart of a brand doesn’t alter.

‘It will be a great challenge and a greater joy to design Jil Sander’s contemporary identity. I am convinced that the moment is as favorable as could be wished. The fashion world needs original voices and genuine signatures. I will do my best to, once again, join the choir.’

Chief executive Alessandro Cremonesi called this a ‘moving moment’ for Sander’s return.

‘Jil Sander's human passion and visionary strength are a priceless force for the future of our company,’ Cremonesi said. ‘Her entrepreneurial attitude will be highly beneficial to all aspects of the Jil Sander Group. It's almost too good to be true.’

The new appointment marks Sander’s third time at the helm of the eponymous company. She ran the brand from 1968 to 2000, leaving one year after selling a 75% stake to Prada Group. She returned to the group in 2003 and departed two years later.

On Thursday, the Sander company announced that Simons would leave his post after showing his final collection for the brand on Saturday. Simons has yet to make any announcements concerning his plans.