Helmut Lang: 21st Century Expressionism
By Timothy Hagy
(Photos by Gruber-FWD)
PARIS, Jan 26, 2003/ FW/ --- Walking into the white light at Helmut Lang's show this afternoon in Paris was the same as walking into the Upper Belvedere in Vienna. Leaving behind the dismal winter gloom, a ray of sharp, hot light at once hits you in the face.
And what was immediately clear from the opening moments of Lang's hard-hitting show was that the Austrian designer has reemerged as driving force for men's fashion in this new millennium.
Paris has always been the creative center of fashion, the cutting edge if you will, and since Helmut Lang has joined the exodus of big names from New York, along with Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren to Milan, his return has further energized the French menswear shows.
You could compare Lang's style to Viennese expressionism, sharp brush strokes and motives repeated over and over, then varied to produce the finished product. In this case a zapping collection full of youthful force.
Pants were applied and reapplied with black or beige overlay, then laced up the side or ornamented with streaming ribbons. The same device was then used with a different pallet of frost gray and silvery emerald
Vests were cut out to make toggle-like frames, then filled in with a fringe of shredded wool or thin leather strips.
Coiled decoration found its way onto elbows of sweaters, while parkas sprouted black plumes.
Evening suits came with glistening satin lapels, finely cut to a tapered waist, the silhouette forming an erotic hourglass. One stunning aluminum vest looked to have been laced together from reflective rectangles.
The show was certainly a hit with a group of young designers from Centre St. Martin School of Arts and Design come to town for inspiration. One young student named Andres, who could well be a litmus test for a whole new generation, summed it up "It was the best show ever! Strong at the beginning and right through to the end."
That was certainly the reaction from most international editors, too.
Paris is fortunate to have Helmut Lang back, and he rightfully takes his place with "The Big Three", where along with Hedi Slimane and Jean-Paul Gaultier, he's setting a fast pace for a new age.
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