Helmut Lang

Born in Vienna, Austria in 1956, Helmut Lang's parents having divorced when he was 3 years old, he grew up with his grandfather, a shoemaker, in the mountains behind Salzburg.


When he was 21, he kept searching shops for some perfectly made T-shirts and jackets to no avail. So he decided to design and make his very own. He decided to open his own fashion studio in Vienna in 1977 and specialized in avant-garde clothing which disregarded convention. A 'deconstructionist', Lang works in an essentially urban style. He mixes cheap and expensive fabrics and attempts to always blur the lines between traditional men and womenswear.

In 1986, he launched his first show in Paris which was an immediate success. His popularity continued to grow right into the 1990's. In 1998, he decided to move to New York. His 1998 collection was shown over the internet rather than physically.

Helmut Lang has a stark sober palette, often slashed with bright colours, which reflects a very modern, even futuristic perspective. His cleverly thought out clothes are cleanly and very precisely tailored, but in a more exploratory, and quirky manner. His fabric combinations tend to reveal a very forward-looking approach.

In 1999, Lang decided to enter into collaboration with the House of Prada in order to open boutiques all over Europe and expand his line. He is now poised to become a major global marketing force, with a Jeans line, a perfume deal with Proctor and Gamble and a leather license in the pipeline.

Find fashion by Helmut Lang @ the following eshop: