Ozwald Boateng for Givenchy

Naoki Takizawa for Issey Miyake

Helmut Lang

DALLAS, Dec 24, 2004/ FW/ --- In a surprise announcement early this month, uber-cool designer Helmut Lang is not presenting a runway show during the Fall 2005 menswear season but opting for a static installation.

The Prada Group, the conglomerate that owns the label also made a statement that it was a “creative decision made by the designer himself and not because of dip profits.”

Needless to say, Helmut Lang will be sorely missed on the catwalk. For the past five seasons, his cutting-edge style and innovative designs had kept him on the list of the “must-see, must-attend” shows during the season.

In another development that turned out to be a very pleasant surprise to everyone is the appearance of Issey Miyake by Naoki Takizawa on the Paris roster, slated to show at 5:30 PM on January 28, 2005 in Paris.

Historically showing its menswear collection in Milan and its womenswear collection in Paris, this move by the iconic Japanese design house astonished the fashion set. Milan’s lost is definitely Paris’s gain.

Of course, the two European fashion capitals had been “sharing” fashion houses for a long time, as designers for creative and business reasons opt to show in either city.

Ozwald Boateng, when he was appointed as Artistic Director for Givenchy Homme chose to show his eponymous line in Milan while opting to show Givenchy Homme in its native city of Paris.

Givenchy Homme is slated to show at 2:00 PM on Monday, January 31, 2005.