The crazy weather we had in Massachusetts last week confronted me with a question that no girl really ever wants to consider. If my wardrobe were to blow completely away (which for a while I thought was nearly a possibility!) what would I absolutely have to save? What would be that one piece that I just can’t live without? Normally this is a question I would brood over, and ultimately tell you you’re crazy, you can’t pick just one thing. But, with the weather outside turning my nightmare into what felt like an impending reality, I thought, just maybe on the off chance something might happen, I should seriously consider it. I was shocked at how quickly I had an initial answer, and it’s always best to go with your first instinct. If there was a chance my entire wardrobe would end up in Oz my Helmut Lang blazer would be the one thing I wouldn’t let the munchkins get their hands on. (Alright you got me, “one of”… I’ll have to start keeping my Alexander McQueen Moth Rosette scarf next to the blazer so I could grab both at once.) It’s no surprise that the two things in my wardrobe I would risk my life to save happen to be a blazer and a scarf.
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| Helmut Lang Combo Blazer |
Just like any other addict, us fashion junkies have our specific vices. Some girls hoard shoes, for some their weakness is designer handbags, others feign for that perfect LBD (which they own in every fabrication, every silhouette, and every sleeve/skirt length). For me, my fashion crack seems to come in the form of jackets and scarves. I need another of either like a whole in the head, but I just can’t help myself (it truly is an addiction).
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| My jacket rack |
I have to say though, since purchasing this Helmut Lang Combo Blazer, my cravings seem to have been curbed. Simply because I don’t think I’ll find another jacket I love so much that seems just so perfect for, well, everything…. (that doesn’t mean I’m still not on the lookout). I can wear this jacket with just about anything- and I do. This jacket leaves my wardrobe to make public appearances more than any other piece. The clean lines, daringly different silhouette, and chiffon inserts at the pockets and sleeves make this no ordinary jacket. This jacket instantly adds streamlined polish to any outfit, even if it’s only a white tank top and leggings. It's the perfect thing to throw on when you need a little structure in your life... when you want to keep things simple, and clear, but make a statement.
I have to add, it’s also the perfect blazer for a night out on the town (sspecially when paired with a Cynthia Vincent metal embellished top, leather shorts and Jimmy Choo gladiators). The fabric is durable, and moves with ease, but it’s perfect cut and sharp tailoring keep you looking as austere and crisp as the ever severe Victoria Beckham. The chiffon sleeves let you breathe in those hot over-crowded bars, yet at the same time are perfect for summer nights in Boston, where you never know if you’re going to end up standing outside waiting for a cab freezing your tail off even if it was too hot out to use your flat iron when you got ready.
When wearing the jacket during the day, the threadbare tee and sheath legging by the label are the perfect way to complete the black and white minimalist look that has become so synonymous with the label. The pieces are simple and straightforward, but in silhouettes and fabrications that add a bit of a luxe edge. This deceptive simplicity is a common thread throughout Helmut’s pieces …. He laces his clothing with little nuggets not meant for everyone to see, that become the wearers little special secret. The small insert on the hip of the legging, the draped back of the tank, and the sheer slash of chiffon that wraps around your waist in the jacket, all subtle elements that the owner can appreciate.
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| Helmut Lang Threadbare Tee with Draped Back |
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| Helmut Lang Threadbare Tee and Sheath Legging |
These personal details that make you feel like you’re wearing a designer piece, but look like you’re just effortlessly sharp and fashionably intellectual. As with most abstract and minimalist art, what seems so simple to the eye is actually covertly complex, and seemingly ordinary easy forms, are highly intentional and painstaking to execute. We all know it’s much harder to draw a straight line, than a crooked one. Using fashion as his medium, hidden beneath the architectural lines and steely fabrications, Lang presents us with a delicate lesson in balance and proportion.
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| Helmut Lang: Self Portrait |
Helmut Lang has been teaching this lesson season after season through both women’s and means wear, footwear and accessories, since 1986. The Austrian born designer began the line with a small made-to-measure studio in Vienna, that lead to a fashion presentation in Paris, and here we arrive at a 25 year old multi-national iconic brand whose goods can be found world-wide at high end retailers. Over these 25 years he has defined an aesthetic within the fashion industry that goes against the traditional glitz and glamour. Instead, he strips fashion down to the bare minimum- the cut and the fabric. Helmut Lang’s aesthetic has often been compared to that of his peers, Jil Sander (who was also acquired by Prada around the same time as Helmut Lang, and left her own label around the same time he left his) and Yohji Yamamoto- all who subscribe to the school of minimal utilitarianism.
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| Helmut Lang Spring 2010 |
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| Jil Sander Fall 2011 |
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| Yohji Yamamoto Fall 2011 |
His bare-bones approach accompanied with ground-breaking use of ultra high tech fabrics has not only created some incredible pieces of clothing, it has earned him Designer of the Year Awards from the CFDA (twice) VH-1/Vogue, GQ, and the New York Times. He was also awarded Fashion Group International’s, “The Imagineers of Our Time" Award (2004) and the Pitti Imagine Award, Best Designer of the Nineties, in 1998. This style that Helmut Lang has come to embody has had a remarkable influence on the fashion industry. His minimalist influence is easy to spot on the runways for Fall 2011, particularly in the collections of Rick Owens, Roland Mouret, even Calvin Klein (under current creative direction of Francisco Costa).
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| Rick Owens Fall 2011 |
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| Roland Mouret Fall 2011 |
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| Calvin Klein Fall 2011 |
Even though Lang himself left his label and retired from fashion in 2005 (resulting in the label being sold by Prada and subsequent two year hiatus from the fashion circuit) under the creative direction of Michael and Nicole Colovos (the husband and wife duo are former creative directors of the denim line Habitual) the label continues to thrive and pops up regularly as part of the fashion savvy wardrobe.
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Michael and Nicole Colovos
Photography by Robert Wright for the
New York Times |
Olivia Wilde wore the Helmut Lang Combo Blazer to Comic-Con in San Diego 2010, Kristen Cavallari, bombed around the Hills in his Threadbare Tee, and even Julia Roberts chose to sport his Sheath leggings.
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Oliva Wilde seen in Helmut Lang's Combo Blazer
Comic-Con San Diego 2010 |
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| Kristen Cavallari in Helmut Lang's Threadbare Tee |
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| Julia Roberts in Helmut Lang Sheath Leggings |
Hmmmmm- all three of those pieces look vaguely familiar…..
Under new ownership and creative direction the line has taken on a decidedly different business approach, incorporating more “advanced contemporary” methods of production instead its previous made-to-measure business. The sale of the line to Links Theory (The same company that on owns Theory and Joie) along with the change in production techniques and shift from especially high tech fabrics has dropped the price point of the line about 20%, making it a bit more accessible. The line now has price points similar to M Missoni or 3.1 Phillip Lim (other advanced contemporary vendors) instead of the original couture prices. In spite of the changes in creative direction and production the line holds true to its utilitarian roots and continues to be a leading innovator, trend setter, and inspirational standard in the fashion industry. It will also continue to hold a special place in my wardrobe and provide me with the comfort of a precise, uncomplicated outfit when my life outside is a whirlwind.
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