Helmut Lang’s Big Reinvention Begins

by Paige Reddinger

Helmut Lang unveiled its new campaign photographed by Ethan James Green featuring Shayne Oliver, Alek Wek, Traci Lords, Larry Clark, Nicky Rat, Mari Copeny a.k.a Little Miss Flint, Kembra Pfahler, Unlocking the Truth, Yoshi, Alanie Quinones, Aurel Haize, Grace Gee, Ian Isiah, Gogo Graham, Dara and Sohyun Jung. Oliver, the influential designer behind Hood By Air, was tapped by Helmut Lang in March of this year to be a “collaborating designer” for the company. The announcement was made by Helmut Lang’s new editor-in-residence, Isabella Burley, who is concurrently the editor-in-chief of indie darling Dazed & Confused magazine. In her role at the brand, Burley is responsible for bringing her editorial eye and tapping into her well of creative talent to influence all departments of the brand.

The announcement coincided with the news that Oliver would be taking a hiatus from HBA to work on special projects with Helmut Lang. The designer is the first to be part of Helmut Lang’s ongoing design residency, which was created to usher in new talent to work on capsule collections for the brand. Oliver’s collection will be titled Helmut Lang Seen by Shane Oliver and will debut on Monday, September 11 during NYFW.

In addition, the brand announced that it has restored its original logo and gone live with a new digital presence on the web and on social media. To add more excitement into the mix, they have announced Helmut Lang Re-edition, which will revive important heritage pieces first created by Helmut Lang himself. The new offering will be sold starting September and will be known as Volume 1, featuring 15 items with future volumes set to tap into the archives in the future.

Wait, there’s more…Helmut Lang is introducing an artist series, which will feature 12 artists each month in a yearlong activation celebrating Helmut Lang’s artist collaborations through limited-edition posters, t-shirts, and special products. The first 12 artists in the series include: Leigh Ledare, Carolee Schneemann, Boris Mikhailov, Peter Hujar, Walter Pfeiffer, Keizo Kitajima, Adrienne Salinger, Martine Syms, Mark Morrisroe, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Andrew Miksys, and Carrie Mae Weems. A portion of the sales will be donated to a nonprofit of the artist’s or estate’s choice. The first series, by Pfeiffer, will be available in October.

Expect more information on this whirlwind of projects to be unveiled in the coming months.

 

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