Helmut Lang (artist)

Helmut Lang (artist)

Helmut Lang (b. March 10, 1956, Vienna) is an Austrian artist who lives and works in New York and on Long Island. Lang established his name-stake trademark in 1978 and presented his first international presentation at Centre Georges Pompidou in 1986, and has since his retirement from fashion in 2005, continued to work as an artist. Lang introduced unconventional materials into the urban uniform and by repositioning the perspectives of utility and modernity defined the silhouette of the 1990s and early 2000s. He broke away from the runway show-as-spectacle in the height of the 1980s opulence and was the first to ever stream his collection online, redefining how fashion is communicated. As one of the most important designers of our times, his work left an undeniable imprint on contemporary culture and his influence continues to reverberate among the fashion community today.

Lang’s seamless relationship with art has included collaborations with artists Jenny Holzer and Louise Bourgeois. His recent works explore abstract sculptural forms and physical arrangements and space beyond the limitations of the human body. Lang had his first solo art exhibition ALLES GLEICH SCHWER at the Kestnergesellschaft in Hanover in 2008.

Lang has published excerpts from his ongoing art projects Long Island Diaries and The Selective Memory Series in a number of publications, such as BUTT Magazine, Fannzine 137, Visionaire and most recently The Travel Almanac .