After a month of runway shows, my interest in designer clothes has started to wane. Of what I've seen, many of the shows have been good (Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg). But by and large, most have been bad, or if not bad, then at least theme-y, and I hate theme-y (Giles Deacon, Heatherette, Burberry). As far as I can tell, only one runway show has been truly perfect: Jil Sander.

Yesterday in Milan, Raf Simons (Jil Sander's creative director) presented a ready-to-wear show that actually looked ready-to-wear. Unlike other designers who tend to base collections on a single inspiration -- geisha girls, knights or Marie Antoinette -- Simons' looks remained true to the idea that fashion should always serve the women who wear it, not the other way around. In his Fall/Winter 2007 collection, Simons took classic shapes -- the sheath dress, the wool jacket, the A-line skirt -- and gave them a contemporary feel with forward-thinking fabrics, details and construction. The result was smashing.

Without a doubt, my favorite Jil Sander piece has to be this silver cocktail dress. I love the simple, understated way this dress moves on the model's body. This is a dress for a woman with substance -- someone who can speak louder than her clothes.