Helmut Lang Austrian fashion designer and artist Date of Birth: 10.03.1956 Country: Austria

1. Helmut Lang - Austrian Designer and Artist
2. Early Life and Career
3. Expansion and Innovations
4. Transition to Art

Helmut Lang - Austrian Designer and Artist

Helmut Lang, an Austrian designer and artist, is renowned for his simple and elegant urban clothing collections. He has received numerous Austrian and international awards for his contributions to the fashion industry. In 1986, he established the brand 'Helmut Lang', but left the company in 2005 to focus on his art projects. 'Helmut Lang' was acquired by 'Prada' in 2004 and later sold to the Japanese holding company 'Link Theory Holdings Co.' in 2006.

Early Life and Career

Helmut Lang was born on March 10, 1956, in Vienna, Austria. He grew up in a humble environment in rural Austria, under the care of his grandparents, who did not own a telephone or television. Lang initially studied banking but later switched to fashion and design. In 1977, he opened his first studio in Vienna, where he worked on custom-made garments.

Lang gained recognition after presenting his collection at the exhibition 'Vienna 1880-1939: The Merry Apocalypse' at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, organized by the Austrian government. This success led Lang to open a branch in Paris in 1986 and register the brand under his own name. He became famous for his simple yet refined designs, including delicate suits in white or black, denim collections, and the use of high-tech materials. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, minimalism was at its peak in the fashion industry, and Lang's creations perfectly embodied this trend.

Expansion and Innovations

In 1987, Lang introduced his first menswear collection, followed by a footwear line in 1990, lingerie in 1995, denim clothing in 1996, and a fragrance line in 1999. Expanding his empire, Lang relocated the headquarters of his fashion brand to New York City in 1997, marking the first instance of a fashion house's intercontinental move in history. In April 1998, just three days before his first New York show, Lang decided to showcase his collection to the world and quickly registered the domain helmutlang.com to create an online platform. He boldly announced that he would present his collections not only before the start of New York Fashion Week but also before the major shows in Milan and Paris. Many American designers followed suit.

From 2000 onwards, the 'Helmut Lang' brand began advertising in 'National Geographic' magazine, a practice never before seen in the fashion industry. In 1999, the Milan-based fashion house 'Prada' acquired a 51% stake in Helmut Lang's company as part of its multi-brand strategy, which also included the acquisition of the German clothing brand 'Jil Sander'. Despite the high quality of Lang's garments and the resurgence of interest in minimalism in the early 2000s, the brand faced challenging times. 'Prada' decided not to renew the license for the production of Lang's denim collections, despite them generating half of the company's profits. Instead, 'Prada' focused on developing other areas.

Transition to Art

After much contemplation, Lang sold his remaining shares and left his eponymous brand, as he became increasingly interested in pure art. Balancing the demands of the fashion industry and working on art projects became impossible for him. In February 2005, Lang founded 'hl-art' and shifted his focus to media installations, sculpture, and graphics. Currently, he resides and works in New York City and Long Island.

Lang's artworks are featured in the collections of renowned institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Fashion Museum in Bath, United Kingdom, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and many others. In 2011, two solo exhibitions of his work were planned: 'Austra Davaj' in Moscow and 'Helmut Lang Solo Exhibition' in Vienna.