Let’s be honest and realistic, and it’s true that, for some time now, the attention that New York Fashion Week normally receives has diminished considerably, in part due to the exit of some designers from the official calendar. Fortunately, and to the delight of some, especially the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America), this is changing, and more so in this edition, because of the return of some brands such as Ralph Lauren and Palomo Spain, and especially the debut of Peter Do as creative director of Helmut Lang, one of the most successful fashion brands of the 1990s.
The minimalist style that Helmut himself was patenting with his brand at the time was the real reason why they both reached the pinnacle of success and popularity. All those who admired fashion and dreamed of working in it one day grew up watching Lang’s creations, and among them was Peter, one of the biggest exponents of that style today. Who would have thought that years after arriving in the United States, at the age of 19 and looking for a new direction after losing his father, he would take the helm of the company. Seeing is believing, dreams come true, and even more so if you pursue them and fight for them, as he did.
His beginnings in the industry started with a piece of pink curtain that later became a dress for his mother. This color appears as a detail in some of the fitted garments that make up the collection, recently presented on an immaculate white floor with a printed phrase. These were the first to appear, adding excitement and positivity to the present and the undecided future that awaits us.
Pink played an important role, it looked good and Peter’s affection for it was evident, but there was also black and white. These two colors shouted loud and clear that the “old money” style was more fashionable than ever. The silhouettes were very clean and elegant and the clothes spoke for themselves, some by their fit and others by the quotes printed on them, such as “Your car was my first room. Our clothes on the floor like stepped-on flowers”. At first glance, this phrase may go unnoticed, but if we stop to analyze it, we see how it is related to the freedom of queer people, an issue for which every day we fight and try to make progress, as far as homophobia is concerned.
The last two mentioned tones started to mix with denim, giving way to the uniform that many will wear from now on black blazer, white shirt, and jeans. It doesn’t fail. Denim was gradually taking a more relevant position in the line and what at first came as a secondary garment ended up becoming the statement piece, as it happened in look number 35. The print of the trousers says it all, like the total look number 24 and 25, that even if a woman wore it we would wear it without thinking about it, like many other things.
Following these prints came others in the form of sidebands that were added to some of the coats that closed the proposal together with the multicolored looks that already showed that the new era of Helmut Lang would be more alive than ever.
Take a look at Helmut Lang Spring/Summer 2024 backstage photographed by Jack Buster during New York Fashion Week, in exclusive for Fucking Young! below:
