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ABout: Helmut Lang

The Beginning.

Helmut Lang is credited with being one of the first designers to introduce utilitarian minimalism on the runway in the 1980s. Lang, who was born in Austria and raised in Vienna, began his career as an aspiring artist and trade student before launching his first made-to-measure studio in 1977 and a boutique in 1979 in Vienna, where he designed T-shirts and jackets.

After gaining a following in Austria, he displayed his work as an exhibition titled "l'Apocalypse Joyeuse" at the Centre Pompidou in 1986. In the same year, he then created and established his label "Helmut Lang" in Paris.

The Label & Designs

Because of his simple yet detailed designs on essential clothing, Lang's fashion brand has grown in popularity since his first collection. The Men's and Women's collections, both of which were shown on the same runway, were the label's staple. Furthermore, between 1990 and 2000, the Helmut Lang brand expanded to include underwear, jeans, footwear/accessories, and fragrances.

Lang elevated street wear to high fashion through his namesake line. He was the first to create "designer denim," as well as garments made from bulletproof vests and military bomber jackets made out of high technical fabrics. Lang was also known for utilising parachutes and bondage gear-inspired straps and harnesses to achieve an edgy image that was sensual enough without exposing skin. In his garments, he uses a variety of fabrics, including silk, nylon, metallic textiles, coloured leathers, holographic fabrics, thermal fabrics, latex-bounded lace, and much more.

After relocating to New York in 1998, the brand gained even more international recognition in the fashion world. Helmut Lang is known for numerous things, including being the first in the fashion industry to place advertisements on NYC taxicabs, hosting the first online fashion show, opening a concept store, and even moving New York Fashion Week ahead of the other European shows.

Partnership with Prada

Prada, a Milan-based fashion house, bought 51 percent of Lang's company in 1999, and the remaining 49 percent in 2004, just before Helmut Lang stood down from his namesake label.

However, Lang's aesthetic vision and the Prada Group's economic ambitions clashed as a result of this multi-brand approach. Prada was supposed to give the label financial security while sustaining the company's and designer's aesthetic progress, according to Lang's understanding. Prada Group, on the other hand, believes that Lang's independence for the brand will delay business decisions.

Prada later chose to close the license company that produced the best-selling Helmut Lang Jeans, which were sold in over 700 stores across the world. Helmut Lang was tasked with creating a "it" bag, that clearly did not come through. Sales of the brand dropped from over $100 million in 1999 to $37 million in 2003. Lang retired from the fashion scene in 2005.

What's Next?

Helmut Lang has been designed by a number of other designers since Lang's retirement from the business. Michael and Nicole Colovos were named the brand's creative directors in May 2006. They re-launched the Helmut Lang website with a contemporary sportswear collection for S/S 2007. In 2017, Helmut Lang launched 'The Helmut Lang Re-Edition,' with Isabella Burley, editor of Dazed & Confused magazine, as editor-in-residence.

On the other side, Helmut Lang has been concentrating on his work as a fine artist. Jenny Holzer and Louise Bourgeois are among the artists with whom Lang has collaborated. Lang's most recent paintings focus on abstract sculptural human body forms.On the other side, Helmut Lang has been concentrating on his work as a fine artist. Jenny Holzer and Louise Bourgeois are among the artists with whom Lang has collaborated. Lang's most recent paintings focus on abstract sculptural human body forms.