Helmut Lang, 1988 to 1997

[girlalamode]

That video from 1993 in #349 is so great!

 

[CrisGalaxy]

I cant believe that I lived through all those years of his amazing work and I was never aware of him! I wish hed come back

 

[runner]

DJ case he did in 1996 for the 100th anniversary of LV monogram


b-believe

 

[eugenius]

Just outta curiosity...

Anybody know how to differentiate between old Helmut, when he was designing, and new Helmut, under, um, whatseirfaces? Obviously, "the look" is the most logical answer, but any other clues?

 

[runner]

tags,
since if the factories are different tags should be different too.
for example HL under onward era had tags of gibo and HL jeans had GTR tags, etc.
also maybe cut/fit,
you might recognize his once you try it on.
the fit of especially his pants was particular.

 

[eugenius]

yeah, I figured there would be a change in the tags, but exactly what change that would be, I wasn't so sure of (especially since the typography/font of the HL name remained the same)..thanks for clarification, runner!

 

[Scott]

definitely,the cutting and proportions are dead give-aways. helmut had a sharper,leaner and more precise cut than what i see from those two. helmut had a very distinct craft even from just a spectator perspective.

 

[fixoid]

After looking at the advertisements for helmutlang.com posted in this thread, I was interested to see what it might have looked like at the time the advertisements were published.

The internet archive wayback machine has pages from the site from as far back as 1999. It has even occasionally archived some images.

http://web.archive.org/20091024210518*/http://www.helmutlang.com/

 

[CrisGalaxy]

^ sadly you can't see most of the images from some collection and when you click on them to make them bigger you cant see them at all </3

 

[marjanthelion]

i used to always look forward to his shows/collections

 

[softgrey]

interview at nowness.com
with slideshow of his latest artwork made from his clothing designs...

he's living on long island, new york...
i had NO idea?!...
...

http://www.nowness.com/day/2011/7/23?ecid=ema1527&CID=

Helmut Lang: Make it Hard


The Fashion Legend on His Renegade Act of Artistic Reinvention

Iconic designer turned artist Helmut Lang shredded 20 years of fashion history for his latest exhibition, repurposing 6,000 garments from his eponymous label into a series of terrestrially textured, stalactite columns that stretch from floor to ceiling. On view at the Fireplace Project in East Hampton, Make it Hard comprises 16 sculptures that meld natural and synthetic fibers with plastics, metals, leathers, fur, feathers and even hair. “The fight against entropy and decay is always going to be a losing battle,” says international curator Neville Wakefield. “So why not make of that destructive energy something new?” It should be noted that Lang's most adored designs were saved from the cut, when in 2009 and 2010 the designer donated a large volume of his work to select fashion, design and contemporary art collections worldwide. A leading figure of 90s minimalism, the Austrian-born Lang has left a lasting mark on the industry. Following his brand’s acquisition by the Prada Group six years ago, Lang relocated to a Long Island studio to focus on his artistic career. “In the autobiographical sense, the material of people’s lives has always been the subject of their art,” says Wakefield. “The only difference here is the level of identification and investment that the public has in that material.” We asked Lang about his dramatic endeavor.

What inspired you to shred your archive?
With a little help of outside force in February 2010—after a fire in the building where our studio in New York is located, which could have destroyed the rest of the archive—and after going for months through the pieces to see in which condition they are, I slowly became intrigued by the idea of destroying it myself and using it as raw material for my art. It was a cathartic experience, which led to an interesting and positive energy.
Were you motivated by a desire to draw a line between yourself as an artist and designer?
I retired from fashion in 2005 and that was final for me. I feel fortunate I am able to work in art now and still contribute to the cultural landscape.
There is an organic feel to your artwork, which seems almost at odds with your fashion aesthetic, which felt very urban. Has your new lifestyle been an influence?
I feel that the new work is actually both, on the one hand very urban, but at the same time it has organic breaks within the structure. I do also think, in my work as a designer, I tried to contradict the contemporary with small defects and elements of reality, which can be considered organic. Anyway, it feels to me that either visible or not visible, I always consider both.
You were seen as having a very serious approach to fashion. Has art relaxed you?
I am always serious and I am always relaxed. Nothing has changed.

 

[CrisGalaxy]

i dont understand his art work... but its his work and he can do what ever he wants with and i guess as long as he has the freedom to still produce his ideas in different ways is what really matters

 

[softgrey]

from hintmag.com

Helmut Lang Shredded His Fashion Archives for Art's Sake

by Lee Carter After Helmut Lang retired from fashion in 2005, following Prada Group's acquisition of his namesake label, he left behind an enviable career characterized by hard-edged minimalism, aggressive experimentation, high-tech fabrics and (still) legions of imitators. But what he gained is just as enviable: a quieter, slower-paced artist's life in a leafy, rolling part of Long Island, far removed from the treacherous canyons of Seventh Avenue. There, the Austrian-American has been carving out, sometimes literally, a contemplative and more meaningful existence for the last six years.
But as Lang would be the first to tell you, country living is hardly a retreat—and he has a new gallery show to prove it. Just as he's undergone a chrysalis, his latest solo exhibit consists of large-scale sculptures transformed from the charred remains of his fashion archives (you were expecting a sale?) into what could be mistaken for white-bark birch trees. That is, if it weren't for the tufts of purple fabric and shiny bits of plastic poking out here and there.
Make It Hard, as the show is called in a less-than-obscured double entendre, opens this weekend at Fireplace Project in East Hampton. Here, Lang explains how it came to be...
Lee Carter: It's been fascinating to watch your evolution from fashion designer to fine artist. Still, the molding and sculpting of material seems to be your main objective. How would you describe your relationship with material?
Helmut Lang: Material has always been important to me. Most of the time it is actually a starting point. I get inspired by the way I'm supposed to use it or inspired by the exact opposite.
What was the guiding concept for this exhibit of new sculpture at the Fireplace Project? And what sparked the idea in the first place?
Showing my work at the Fireplace Project was proposed to me by Neville Wakefield. I had, shortly before our conversation, started to work on the early stages of this sculpture series, and with time and exploration of material, it lead to a large volume of columnar forms, part of which will be displayed in this exhibition.
What methods did you use to destroy the reported 6000 garments from your fashion archives?
The pieces where put through a big shredder truck under my supervision.
Was there a particular part of the archives you most wanted to destroy, and why?
In 2009 and 2010, I donated a large volume of my body of work in fashion to the most important fashion, design and contemporary art collections worldwide. After a fire in the building where our studio in New York is located, which could have destroyed the rest of the archive, and after going for months through the pieces to see in which condition they are, I slowly became intrigued by the idea of destroying it myself and using it as raw material for my art. I shredded all the pieces without remorse or preference. It was about erasing the difference of what they once stood for.
In a press release, it's said the exhibit is an "erasing of the past." Which area of the past are you most interested in erasing?
I'm not interested in erasing anything from my past. My past is part of my DNA. In the release, Neville doesn't refer to erasing the past in terms of me and my work, but the past in terms of the hierarchy and the temporal meaning of the materials.
There's a lot of speculation that the new work is a statement on the fashion industry, a rejection of its commercialism. Is it?
No, it is not.
What's the significance of the title, Make It Hard? A reference to the stiffness of sculpture or a comment on the oversexed nature of fashion?
Make it Hard is on the one hand a reference to the transition from soft to solid, but it also has a sexual reference implied.
What was the most rewarding aspect of creating these pieces? And the most challenging?
The most challenging was finding the right form for it. The most rewarding is that they actually turned out the way I wanted them to. They are all individually crafted and all have unique content.
Do you ever get creatively blocked? What do you do to get past it?
It is always difficult to find the one good idea and to eliminate all the bad ideas. It is always a procedure.
How does the process of creating these works relate to the process of creating fashion? Any similarities?
You have to work hard and you have to recognize when it evolves into something interesting and be able to let go of it when the work is interesting enough to fight you back. I'm familiar with that procedure.
Will the sculptures eventually be destroyed again and turned into something new? Will what we see at the Fireplace Project take on a different life?
No. The sculptures that are shown are a capsule of a much larger volume, over 100 pieces, which will be shown in different installments or in its entirety later on.
By retiring from fashion in 2005, you've clearly chosen to follow your bliss. What does your bliss look like?
I don't think there is such a thing as profound satsfaction. Life implies that it is sometimes good and sometimes not. But it is clearly an evolution I am quite satisfied with.
How does your life in the unhurried world of art compare to your life as a fashion designer in high demand?
There is more solitude, which I don't mind. That said, this way of life only makes more sense to me after having been part of an intense pace and cycle for thirty years.
Have the unfortunate events that have rocked the Paris fashion world recently reminded you of your previous life?
No, not in that sense. I feel fortunate that I was able to work in fashion successfully and it has been an exciting period of my life.
What does the future hold for Helmut Lang?
I don't know, but right now it looks quite good. We have a lot of upcoming exhibitions.
Make It Hard, Fireplace Project, 851 Springs Fireplace Road, East Hampton, 11937, 631-324-4666

clearly...he is no longer interested in fashion...
and is not really thinking about it anymore...
he's moved on...
and that is that...

*am i the only one who's sad that he destroyed all those lovely clothes...???

 

[Scott]

^no you aren't. such a travesty

softie,he's actually kept a house in the hamptons for ages now....even whilst designing.

 

[softgrey]

a lot of people in nyc do...
but i didn't know that he now lives there full time...
i guess i shouldn't be surprised that he stayed in ny...
he did have his offices here and show here...
i guess i just thought that since he is originally european, he would return there...
i'm glad to know he's still around here though...
somehow, it just feels good...

 

[Scott]

you know it's really strange because even though he had a thriving previous existence in paris,by way of austria,he's been in NY so long i almost feel as though he has become quintessentially NY. they almost go hand in hand. there was something very NY about his aesthetic anyway...raw,urbane....highly contemporary.

 

[softgrey]

true...

 

[runner]

from style.com

Helmut Lang Returns—Sculpturally, At Least

April 25, 2012 1:30 pm

Since his retirement from the world of fashion, Helmut Lang has devoted himself full-time to art—often art that devotes itself to literally tearing up his fashion. For his latest show, the archive seems a bit safer from the scissors; the more than 20 new pieces in Helmut Lang: Sculptures, opening May 5 in New York, are mostly created from rubber, foam, plaster, sheepskin, and tar. Co-curated by Mark Fletcher—recently honored at the Art Production Fund’s annual gala—and Neville Wakefield, the show features both wall-hung works and freestanding monochrome sculptures, which Lang describes as his most figurative work yet. Judge for yourself, left. And if you’re inclined to make a weekend of it, the first New York installment of London’s Frieze Art Fair arrives that same weekend, erecting what its founders claim is the largest temporary structure ever built on Randall’s Island, complete with a pop-up art world hangout (that’d be a Sant Ambroeus café) and parties thrown by Mulberry and Net-a-Porter.

Helmut Lang: Sculptures runs May 5 through June 15 at 24 Washington Square North, NYC. Frieze Art Fair runs May 4 through 7 on Randall’s Island, NYC; for more information, visit friezeartfair.com.

—Matthew Schneier

 

[ChrissyM]

hmmm, not sure what to think of the actual art...

great that he's still being creative and channeling that energy into something tangible though.

 

[Flashbang]

Dapper Dan has waited two long years for this conversation to take place. The visionary independent designer whose work most definitively embodies the 1990s, Helmut Lang was considered an artist long before he decided to become one. His work as a fashion designer is still relevant, though it’s been almost seven years since he left it to focus on sculpture instead. The designer who refined an era now intrigues us with a new spectrum.

Motwary:
You have shredded several hundred of your archival clothes in order to recycle them into an art piece. Are you severing your bonds with the fashion world?
Lang:
The intention was not to sever my bonds with the fashion world, no. Actually, between 2009 and 2010, I donated a large volume of my fashion work to the most important fashion, design and contemporary- art collections worldwide, in order to give back to fashion and culture at large. After a fire in the building where our studio in New York is located, which could have destroyed the rest of the archive, and after going through the pieces for months to see what condition they’re in, I became intrigued by the idea of destroying the remaining 6,000 pieces myself and using them as raw material for my art. I wanted to dedicate my time to creating something new, following the idea that the past is never static, but undergoes continual metamorphosis and transformation. It was a cathartic experience to accelerate that process and make it my own. After all, the fight against entropy and decay is always going to be a losing battle, so I thought, why not make of that destructive energy something new. In the autobiographical sense, the material of artists’ lives has always been the subject of their art. The only difference here is the public’s level of identification and investment in that material. I think the story has changed because the human body is not the centre of attention any more. It is more the human condition that is taking centre stage. I became interested in working with forms and materials that were not restricted by the human body and its needs.

Motwary:
Although it has been several years since you moved from one medium to another, the fashion industry still considers you one of the most important designers in its modern history. Why do you think that is?
Lang:
It is really not about my opinion, but rather the collective verdict of the fashion industry. It would be hypocritical to say that it makes me feel bad. I am proud that I was able to formulate a body of work that is still contemporary and influential. While I was working in fashion, I read everything that was said about me, until I stopped in 2005, but I think I never fully realised the impact of my work until I stepped back and saw its continuing influence on the fashion world.

Motwary:
Do you follow the evolution of fashion nowadays?
Lang:
I do, but not as a priority. I follow all important developments and contributions to culture and humanity at large.

Motwary:
Do you feel any responsibility to those who idolised your clothes and cannot find them any more?
Lang:
I don’t think it is a question of responsibility. It is a question of appreciation for the past and, for me, the excitement and evolution of something new. I feel fortunate that I’m able to work in art now, and able to contribute to the cultural landscape as I did before with fashion.

Motwary:
Is there a complete archive of your work anywhere?
Lang:
The archive, in its near entirety, is kept in digital form. I recently donated my visual archive to MAK in Vienna, which encompasses all graphics, images, Séance de Travail videos, press material, advertising campaigns, architecture and so on. They will develop a virtual database of my work that includes all silhouettes and locations of the pieces, which are in museums around the world. MAK will also create a dedicated space where, on request, students or other interested parties can study my work.

Motwary:
Often, the way critics interpret one’s work has little to do with the creator’s own viewpoint. How would you describe your art?
Lang:
I am not so much into interpreting or analysing my work, as I don’t want to impose my own thoughts. I think it really depends on who looks at the artwork. Every person will form their own opinion and have their own experience and emotions, which is part of what makes art interesting. I just do what I feel is part of me, as I did with fashion. Time has to pass in order for a collective opinion to be developed.

Motwary:
How did the desire arise to create beyond the boundaries of fashion? Was it about the corporate fashion industry, or a personal choice?
Lang:
It was more a premonition of a changing world. Also, I did not want to stay in fashion until my death. My instinct was to contribute on a different level and within a different set of circumstances. Fashion is extremely complex in its requirements, and if these requirements change substantially, one possibility is to be brave enough to question the expected and re-evaluate personal needs. I don’t think many people walk away from fashion—it is very addictive.

Motwary:
How can someone who loved fashion so intensely abandon it?
Lang:
Thirty years in fashion is a pretty good run. I did some art projects while working in fashion and I was always interested in pursuing them full time, before it was too late.

Motwary:
Was it difficult for you to detach your heart from the company you once owned?
Lang:
Once I made the decision, it was not difficult.

Motwary:
How have Paris and, later, New York shaped your personality, your likes and dislikes, your character, after you left Austria as a not-so-happy young person?
Lang:
Paris is really the place where I have been the most, for private and professional reasons. I travelled for nearly 20 years between Vienna and Paris, and later between New York and Paris, and I also lived there for two full years, and it really became my second home. I still feel very attached to the place and all the people I know there. Paris has profoundly shaped me into the man that I am today. New York probably did this later, in a similar but very different way, as I was much more mature and experienced, and I also arrived in New York already well known and successful in my profession. I decided to move to New York in late 1997, when I relocated and established my company headquarters there and also got my apartment in the city and place on Long Island. I felt less driven to look around for a “better” place to be—it seemed that I had found the place that worked for me. I had also found my perfect relationship at the time, and it seemed right to pay the same attention to my private happiness as to my professional life, and to start to create a home. In a way, I had never desired that before.

Motwary:
Do you feel you have achieved a harmonious state of mind?
Lang:
Yes, I do. Definitely.

Motwary:
What is your ultimate goal in life?
Lang:
I always want to be my best and I never expect it to be easy along the way. In that sense, it does not matter what I do. I think I apply this approach to everything.

Motwary:
What are your aesthetic obsessions?
Lang:
I like when things are in the right context within their surroundings, and I like them a little bit off at the same time.

Motwary:
After many years of intense exposure, you have managed to retain an enigmatic personality. Have you never been tempted to succumb to the cult of celebrity?
Lang:
I think you answered the question yourself. It was a personal choice. I don’t like fame to get out of control, so that you are not able to live the life you want to live.

Motwary:
I wanted to ask about your late friend, Louise Bourgeois. I have read that you think of her every day.
Lang:
Louise was all or nothing. Intense, warm, embracing and straightforward. All qualities I treasure. There was nobody like her.

Motwary:
You embarked on some lasting, even legendary collaborations whilst working in fashion, with Jenny Holzer, Melanie Ward, Juergen Teller… are you still in touch with them?
Lang:
Yes, most of them. With some of them, I am even closer than before.

Motwary:
Do you have the same kinds of friends in art?
Lang:
Yes. Some of them I’ve known for a long time; others are more recent.

Motwary:
If life moves in a series of cycles, will there be another cycle for you after art?
Lang:
At the moment I cannot imagine that there will be another cycle, so to speak. Also, we live in an environment where, increasingly, people don’t just do one thing, but work across creative disciplines in a more open capacity.

Motwary:
What is art about, then?
Lang:
It is something the critics and the public are discussing and interpreting constantly, and that is how it should be.

Interview originally published in Dapper Dan, Issue 05, February 2012. Special thanks to Joakim Andreasson.


heLmut LAng Spine, 2011, rubber, steeL And pAint, 24x24x62 inches, photo hL-Art


Arm strAp, Séance de Travail, spring/summer 03, photo hL-Art

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