>> Jil Sander Going for Uniqlo Round Two —Neither Jil Sander nor Uniqlo ever spoke about the terms or length of their contract, but it sounds like Sander's +J collection will get a Spring edition.  Word is the Spring 2010 offerings will be expanded compared to the initial Fall 2009 collection, and Sander is currently in New York to photograph next season's campaign. [FWD]

>> Earlier this week, we got our first look at Jil Sander's +J Uniqlo collection, but no specific drop date or price information.  Finally, Uniqlo is getting more specific: the line will be in UK and US stores on Oct. 1 and in Asia on Oct. 2, and expect prices to run $19.50 for a stretch t-shirt to $149.50 for a Chesterfield coat.

The Cut has lots more pictures of unseen pieces from the line, and to the left is the collection's campaign, shot by David Sims and featuring Isabeli Fontana.

>> Jil Sander's Line for Uniqlo, +J, Has an ETA! —The September 2009 issue of Vogue UK reveals two details about Jil Sander's +J line for Uniqlo that were until now unknown: the first pieces hit stores in October, and prices start at £15 (approx. $25).  The initial collection supposedly comprises 140 total pieces — 100 for women, and 40 for men. [Guardian UK, TFS]

>> Jil Sander's Collection for Uniqlo Officially Has a Name —We've known since March that Jil Sander is re-entering the fashion world after five years by overseeing men's and women's wear at Uniqlo, but details further than that have been sparse.  No word on how long her contract is or when the first of her labors will appear in stores, but the collection does finally have a name, +J, and a logo, at left. [WWD]

>> Gap is still struggling to define itself — and for the first time in seven years, the company is looking at using a different creative agency — it has worked with Laird & Partners since 2002 — for its Holiday 2009 campaign, which could mean an entirely different approach to those simple backgrounded studio shots we've become accustomed to.

But that may not be the only big change on the horizon for the company: Uniqlo's owner, Fast Retailing, which counts French brands Comptoir des Cotonniers and Princesse tam.tam as well as Theory among its portfolio, may be after the American retailer.  CEO Tadashi Yanai recently said that he wants Fast Retailing to become the world's biggest clothing manufacturer and retailer within the next decade: "To achieve our target, the Asian market is the most important and we have already begun to expand there. In Europe and the US it is not realistic to establish hundreds or thousands of new stores solely via our own efforts, so we want to buy a big chain business."

The Indepedent reports that the "big chain business" Yanai refers to has been speculated to be Gap; in response, Yanai has said Gap is "within the scope" of the brands he might have in mind.

>> THE MODELIZER — Agyness Deyn has a new Uniqlo campaign and odd commercial that goes with it — think her and Gabriel Aubry running and jumping in slow motion — which stylist Nicola Formichetti just posted, and now she's got an entire song dedicated to her by London-based DJ Jodie Harsh and NYC-based DJ Larry Tee.  The new single, "Agyness Deyn" — listen here — pays homage to her best friend Henry Holland's iconic t-shirts with a chorus of "Flick your bean for Agyness Deyn," and boasts lyrics like: "Even her assistant has an assistant / During fashion week . . . she has five." [Modelinia, Nylon]

>> Monday evening came an announcement that surely knocked more than one avid fashion follower out of their chair — Jil Sander is coming back to fashion as creative consultant to Japanese brand Uniqlo.  We've got the who and the what, but as for the how, Fast Retailing executives (from Uniqlo's parent company) fill us in.

Apparently the company has been pursuing Sander since last June and didn't have any other candidates for the role — she's the “top of the top,” according to chairman Tadashi Yanai, who credited her with inventing the "modern basic."  Sander, for her part, says she had received “a lot of offers from many companies” since leaving the fashion world, but she ended up deciding to try something “completely different” and work exclusively for the Japanese label.

One detail we still don't know?  How long Sander and Uniqlo expect to collaborate: executives declined to specify the duration of the contract.
*image: source