Helmut Lang: Maximus Minimus
By Timothy Hagy
(Photos by Gruber-FWD)
PARIS, Mar 7, 2003/ FW/ --- In some ways, Helmut Lang is his own worst enemy.
The Austrian designer from a small Tyrolean village has become a major player on the world's
fashion stage, and yet his exclusivity diminishes his full potential.
With American buyers skittish on war fears and orders hard to come buy, the rabid security
force employed by Lang rudely shoved away buyers from Saks 5th Avenue hoping to see his show
on Friday.
In another irony of circumstance, Roman Polanski was admitted front row and center, though
the film maker can't return the US for fear of imprisonment following a sexual assault
conviction on a 13 year old girl.
The pasquinade may be mystifying, but what is clear is that small venues do not accommodate
the number of guests interested in Lang's work.
Be that as it may, Helmut Lang's Fall / Winter 2003-04 collection is a strong one.
Since returning to Paris, the designer seems to have rediscovered his roots, and has
skillfully energized both his men's and women's lines.
A master of minimalism and deconstruction, Lang showed his talent once again by employing
an ultra-cool modern look, one at times influenced by military overtones.
From featherweight organza worn with a toggle belt to tops amputated and then reconstructed,
the collection was sleek.
Cashmere, silk, organza and wool were strung together to form a thin silhouette that looked
ready for the streets of an urban jungle.
If dark colors predominated, that could well fit the gloomy mood this fashion season, though
the ésprit of the master designer added a flash of brightness.
With maximum talent contracted into a minimalist structure, the energy only increases to
produce a space age look.
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