Austrian born (Mar 10, 1956)
Helmut Lang established his own fashion studio in Vienna in 1977. It
was not until 1986 that he made his debut in Paris. Against the tide
of the opulent 1980s, he presented simple lines and his collection was
judged "too harsh" and "too minimal." And MINIMALISM was born!
The fashion world appointed
him as the King of Minimalism. To Helmut Lang, he was just following
his view of the basic elements of design - form, fabric and color. So,
when the tide of fashion changed, all of a sudden, Helmut Lang was IN
and crowned as the harbinger of the new look. Bewildered and amused,
the designer continued to design clothes the same way he had - understated
with urban aesthetics using luxury fabrics.
"I have been developing...what
I call a non-referential view of fashion. It is all about today. It
has to do with my personality, with my life and with the idea that quality
doesn't go out of style every six months." -- Helmut Lang The St. James Fashion Encyclopedia
Helmut Lang understands "today."
He sees fashion as fleeting, as technological, as part of the world
that goes fast. Part of his genius is uncanny ability to be ahead of
the pack. Though he leans on using synthetic fabrics, he started to
mix it with natural fabric before anyone did. He sees patterns and designs
by mixing opposing sides. Fashion critics call him futuristic. I would
rather call him, a man of today who understands the intricacies of a
world changing as fast as technology does.
