The work of Helmut Lang

[michael_kard]

Does anyone know which collection this top is from?

[mrbeuys]

I own that. SS 03 if I am not mistaken. That's when I bought it.

[michael_kard]

Thanks. Makes sense, especially considering the metal hooks are branded (the increasing influence of Prada at work!)

[interest1]

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .F/W 2004

[Geoffrey B. Small]

http://www.markfletcher.com/downloads/helmut_lang/lang_press_release.pdf

[cjbreed]

^^oh wow cool thanks for that link. i hope the nyc sz'ers make a proper showing it looks like a cool event

[Ahimsa]

There's a NY Times article on it as well.

[laughed]

anyone have a picture of the Helmut Lang "cowboy" t-shirt?
my google searching skills are coming up blank on this one.
i owned this shirt at one time and sold it. boy do i regret that one. never on eBay or yahoo japan.

[michael_kard]

I'm actually thinking of buying it right now, if I decide not to I'll let you know.

[laughed]

buy it, you won't regret it....wherever it is!
i see from your fs sizes you're smaller than me.
that shirt RULLLEESSSS. it is sooo soft. i had a 54 and it was SUPER SMALL for a 54.
if i remember correctly, i think that's how he had it sized.

[michael_kard]

So tonight I wrote some (not very sober) notes on Helmut Lang. The topic explored is the role of the body in Helmut Lang's work, with the main example being the whole strap concept and the 'garment parts' he has done, and I'm sure this could be approached with many other examples. A lot of generalizations are made throughout as I have researched neither the history of bondage nor collections/anything else really, but I still felt like sharing my thoughts.

Layers of organic and synthetic fabrics of contrasting textures and surfaces are draped on the muscular figures of the runway models besides buckles, straps, zippers and Velcro trims, in a what seems to an appositive tension between the garments and the bodies of their wearers; this is evident in the suppression of figure of the garments by pieces of elastic to produce a seemingly tight and confined effect, and in the straps to be found on the interior and exterior of tailored pieces.

Despite the feelings of strictness, severity and confinement typically produced by and associated with the emphatic use of straps in practices such as bondage and tight lacing, Helmut Lang’s straps are not in a fight against the wearer’s body. Instead, long straps made of thick cotton grosgrain tape can be seen loosely draping in the shells and interiors of jackets, sometimes to be exaggerated by their excessive length resulting in them hanging below the garments’ end. In other instances (unstructured garments), the idea of encasement though straps is realized in an elastic lycra material that brings the fabric dramatically closer to the body, but without producing a feeling of pressure or limitation of movement.

The normative ideas of bondage about body movement inhibition and impairment (???) are instead reduced to a symbolic reference in the search for the body’s reaction to these emotional states. If bondage is ultimately about encaging and pressuring a body, the body in Helmut Lang’s clothes could perhaps be interpreted as attempting to escape from that cage to produce a strong somatic awareness. The (once tight, perhaps) tapes are now hanging nonchalantly out of place, instead of serving their familiar tightening function. Similarly, their elastic counterparts offer little constriction, and instead exaggerate the powerful impact volume the body of the wearer has on shaping them.

Perhaps partially due to its commercial success and visual impact, the strapped concept found its way in numerous Helmut Lang collections and was also realized in less body conscious and ornamental ways on bags, accessories and dress and sport shoes. (?)

The feeling of interaction between the body and the garment observed in Lang’s characteristic straps might be understood as part of the designer’s exploration of the garment as a self-referential body-frame, an idea brought to our attention in various of his collections; for example, for seasons SS02/SS04?, Lang introduces garments that are little more than the ‘margins’ or bare outline forms of their design ancestors: a cardigan is ‘condensed’ to a zipper and an angular neckline, or a t-shirt is reduced to a neckline and a single sleeve. This effect has been described by popular fashion critics and followers of Lang as ‘deconstruction’, perhaps alluding to garments that seem to be the ‘remains’ of traditional clothes in the form of a stripped exoskeleton.

In other garments this effect is executed in smaller areas of the body, with cutout panels and slits to reveal and highlight nude parts such as the elbow (SS04 inner? 95/93 exterior) or parts of the chest (nipple/curved tanks SS03/4?).

Lang has also framed the nude body in more straightforward manners, with jackets and shirts made of see-through mesh or sheer woven fabrics to reveal (fw99/ss04/2005/transp. tartan) their wearer’s athletic physique.

Which body does Lang address his designs to? This can be viewed in terms of physique, with slender and athletic build favored in the creation of garments with defined sleeves yet wide upper arms, high armholes and tight thighs, all elements indicating slim-fitting tailoring that contribute to the creation of a sharp and rigid figure.

On a side note, I attempted to make this sound as less PR as possible (which is something I have mistakenly done in the past when writing about stuff I like) to give an idea about HL to people who don't know anything about the wider subject.

I can't even imagine the BS I'd spit out if I could afford CCP

[sotul89]

AI Interview: Exclusive Video Interview with Helmut Lang at His New Sculpture Exhibition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH4UVnhy5lQ

[itch-bay]

How many seasons did they do for men after Helmut departed?

[michael_kard]

The first collection was SS08 and the last one was SS10. So I guess 5.

[interest1]

H to the L to the . . .V?





Believe it. . In 1996, to mark the 100th anniversary of their LV monogram,
the house tapped on the shoulders of seven designers it considered "at the forefront of fashion"
and asked them to put their spin on a Vuitton piece as part of a limited-edition centennial collection.

One of those shoulders was Helmut Lang's, who tricked out a square-shaped vanity trunk into a DJ case.






the full spread







The only thing more amusing to me than a Lang/ Louis collaboration,
is envisioning Romeo Gigli or Sybilla – two of the other participants – at this drawing board.
Well, it was 1996...




The Offspring. Rly?







Chrissie Hynde was given a case, as were Grandmaster Flash, Courtney Love, and Johnny Depp.
Apparently, John Travolta was given one, too, defying all logic in the selection process.