Helmut Lang

Helmut Lang
Three, 2008 and Life forms, 2008 . Artwork by Helmut Lang. Photographed at ALLES GLEICH SCHWER, exhibition at the kestnergesellschaft, Hanover
Birth name	Helmut Lang
Born	1956 Vienna, Austria
Nationality	Austrian
Field	Art

Helmut Lang (born March 10, 1956, Vienna), is an Austrian artist, known for his simple, elegant and urban clothing designs.The fashion label he created, Helmut Lang, still exists today but is carried on without Mr. Lang's involvement since resigning from the house that bears his name in 2005. The influence that Lang has had on fashion in the last three decades is undeniable.

Lang was born in Vienna and grew up in rural Austria with his grandparents without a television or telephone. Lang said of the experience, "“To grow up under really simple circumstances and to understand that certain things were ornamental—the idea of the simple life interrupted by the opulence of particular festivities—that made an impression on me as a child and is something I use." Originally, he studied business to become a banker. It is said that he was not able to find suitable clothing and thus decided to make them himself as an autodidact. He switched over to fashion, set up a made-to-measure fashion studio in Vienna in 1977 and opened a boutique named Bou Bou Lang there in 1979 at the age of 23. His clothes were fairly successful in his native Austria, and, after presenting his clothes as part of the exhibition "Vienne 1880-1939: l"Apocalypse Joyeuse" at the Centre Pompidou in Paris initiated by the Austrian government, he branched out successfully to Paris in 1986 and established the label 'Helmut Lang'. He became famous for his simple but refined designs, his slim suits in black or white, his denim collection and the use of high-tech fabrics. At this time in the late 1980s and early 1990s, minimal fashion was at its height. However, it has been incorrectly said that he spearheaded all minimalist trends that defined the 90's, as in retrospect, his work is more about essentialism.

Lang eventually took the opportunity of his label's growing success and moved his company's headquarters to New York City in 1997 and subsequently set up his company's headquarters at 80 Greene St. in SoHo in 1998. This, allegedly, constituted the first ever intercontinental move of a fashion house. In New York, he decided in April 1998, three days before his designs were to be presented to a New York audience for the first time, to show his collection through a live internet broadcast to the world via the newly created company web site helmutlang.com. As a first in the fashion scene, ads for the brand could be seen on New York taxitops in 1998. The following season he boldly announced to show his collections not only before New York Fashion Week but also before the Milan/Paris runway shows. As a result, with many American designers following suit, New York Fashion Week was permanently moved up six weeks to herald the established runway shows. From 2000 on, print ads for the brand were placed with National Geographic magazine - no other fashion house had done that before. Helmut Lang kept his collections under a single name and included all his lines in his show, positioning them equally. He introduced an underwear (1995) and jeans (1996) line as well as accessories, such as footwear (1990) and fragrances (1999), but otherwise preferred to keep the brand unified to solidify its identity and strength. The runway show venues for the Helmut Lang label were switched from Paris (until 1998) to New York and back again to Paris by Prada (from 2002 to 2005). The collections/presentations used to be called 'séances de travail' (French for 'working sessions') by Mr. Lang.

In 1999, Milan-based fashion house Prada acquired 51% of the Helmut Lang company in the course of a multi-brand strategy which also included the acquisition of German fashion label Jil Sander. Despite the quality of the clothes and the slight revival of minimalist fashion in the early 2000s, the Helmut Lang brand did not fare well. Prada decided to cancel the exciting licensing agreements including Helmut Lang Jeans license, which had been responsible for more than half of the brand's sales, and intended to develop an in-house accessories line. But neither the new accessories nor the fragrances compensated the reallocation of resources. After alleged disagreements with Prada Group's CEO Patrizio Bertelli on how the brand should be continued and after Mr. Lang had sold his remaining shares to Prada in October 2004, he left his own label in February 2005. Lang said of his decision to leave his own brand:

Throughout his career, Lang shied away from interviews or official festivites and disliked being photographed. He even was absent from the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards in 2000, where he was "nominated for all three of the evening's major awards" - (he became Menswear Designer of the Year). Of his absence, Lang told an interviewer, "I’ve never been interested in the event when I’m the center of attention. I’d rather have my work just be there.” He has also remained silent in public about Prada and Link Theory.

In February 2005, Mr. Lang founded hl-art to evaluate potential art projects. He has since published excerpts from the projects "Long Island Diaries" and "The Selective Memory Series" in a number of publications. In September 2007, the East Hampton town board approved Mr. Lang's application for an 'artist's studio permit' for his Tyson Lane residence "to concentrate on other artistic endeavors, such as mixed-media installations, sculpture, and graphic art". Besides his fashion collections, Mr. Lang had already been involved in art exhibitions in earlier years. In August 2008 he had his first institutional solo art exhibition at the Kestnergesellschaft in Hanover titled "ALLES GLEICH SCHWER". In 2009, Lang is curating a project for the Deste Foundation for Contemporary Art in Athens.

Lang lives and works in New York and on Long island.

Biography

This timeline outlines Helmut Lang's work in fashion and art.

Solo Presentations

2008

• "Alles Gleich Schwer", kestnergesellschaft, Hanover

• "Archive", 032c Museum Store, Berlin

2007

• "Next Ever After", The Journal Gallery, Brooklyn
• "Selective Memory Series", Purple Institute, Paris

2002-04

• Helmut Lang, “Séance de Travail”. Paris.

1998

• Helmut Lang, A/W 98-99. online.

1997-02

• Helmut Lang, “Séance de Travail”. New York.

1988-97

• Helmut Lang, “Séance de Travail”. Paris.

1986

• Viennese Modernism. Centre National d'Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou, Paris

Group Presentations

1998

• "Louise Bourgeois. Jenny Holzer. Helmut Lang" Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna

1996

• "I Smell You on My Clothes". Florence Biennale, Florence

Helmut Lang fashion timeline 1977-2005

This timeline outlines the developments in Helmut Lang's fashion as well significant attributes of key collections.

1977

• Opens made-to-measure studio in Vienna.

1980-84

• Development of signature collections and made-to-measure service in Vienna.

1986

• First presentation in Paris. Shown off the Paris fashion calendar as part of the exhibition "Vienne 1880-1939: L'Apocalypse Joyeuse" at The Centre National d'Art et de Culture Georges Pompidou.

1987

• Introduction of the first Helmut Lang Men’s collection. Women and Men’s collections are shown together as part of the Paris fashion calendar. Men’s silhouette marked the return of the narrow and tailored suit shown with the white shirt, back tie and made to measure shoes.’’

1988

• Rejects the structure of the traditional fashion show. Introduces the concept of “Séance de Travail”.

1990

• Introduces layering of transparent fabrics in new materials and textures. New approach towards the treatment of these.
• Introduction of Helmut Lang Footwear

1991

• Introduces wet looks, thermal fabrics, paper dresses and American Indian influences.

1992

• Introduces extremely shiny fabrics and textures. Thermal leathers, technical fabrics, padded clothing and body conscious shapes.

1993

• A/W 93-94. Street style / haute couture presented in wool knits, pure cashmere and velvet. Trademark slit and slashed sleeves first introduced.
• S/S 94. Introduces cuffed pants, holographic fabrics, holographic sterling silver jeans, lacquered silks, phantom prints, apron dresses, colored tuxedo stripes, stretch daytime smoking coats, raw denim and customized silk dresses. Introduces hand-sprayed shoes and customized dancing shoes.
• First separate Men’s presentation. Men’s S/S 94 shown as part of the Paris fashion calendar.
• Begins collaboration with Juergen Teller on backstage documentation and advertising.
• Lang accepted a professorship at 'Modeklasse', the famous department of fashion design at the University of Applied Arts Vienna.

1994

• A/W 94-95. Latex bounded lace, lacquered silks, smoking coats and suits, nylon veil dresses, airbrush silks and slash geometric patterns on candy colored fabrics. Introduced reflective fabrics and nude as staple color.
• First show presented at 17 Rue Commines.
• S/S 95. Hawaiian techno”, high tech and air-tech. New nylon fabrics introduced.

1995

• A/W 95-96. “Couture customized”, camel and tweeds, bra holsters, chiffon and faille. Introduces two-color bloc paneling.
• Introduction of Helmut Lang Underwear.
• S/S 96. New take on lace for men and women, delicate materials, electro vibe, visible bras, apron belts and contrast layering.

1996

• A/W 96-97. Techno jungle, covered sequins, floral patterns, cargo styles, Japanese Obi style tops and evening dresses. Introduces signature uniform outerwear. Presented with gold blanked covered audience.
• Introduction of Helmut Lang Jeans, featuring khakis, chinos, denims, work wear, casual wear, functionals and protective wear.
• S/S 97. Introduction of sashes, festive and ceremonial wear, dislodged lingerie, tuxedo accessories and colored denim.

1997

• A/W 97-98. Shift toward luxury with the use of classic and pure materials. Reintroduction of fine cashmeres, blended wools and silks. Introduction of funnel neck coats and pleated skirts. Silk tulle, cummerbunds and silk down coated duvet wraps. Definition of new Helmut Lang style with made-to-measure finishing.
• Second separate Men’s presentation. Men’s S/S 98 collection shown as part of the New York fashion calendar.
• S/S 98. Introduction of A-line skirt and dresses. Usage of crinoline and pleats. Reintroduction of the classic white t-shirt. For men, introduction of the urban utilitarian. Vintage, painted and sanded denim. Introduction of fold-out clothes.
• Introduction of “accessoire vêtements”.
• Starts collaboration with Jenny Holzer on all Helmut Lang stores.

1998

• Relocates Helmut Lang from Vienna to New York. First fashion house to make a transcontinental move.
• Presentation of the A/W 98-99 collection over the Internet. First ever Internet based fashion show. Launch of www.helmutlang.com
• Moves the presentation venue from Paris to New York, beginning with the A/W 98-99 collection.
• Introduction of Helmut Lang Eyewear.
• Helmut Lang advertises on New York taxi rooftops. ‘’First fashion house to use this advertising channel’’. Features photography by Robert Mapplethorpe and Bruce Weber.
• A/W 98-99. Luxury sportswear translated to luxury eveningwear. Couture-sportwear, volume and silk-furs. Introduction of the signature parka and burnt denim.
• For the S/S 99 collection, Helmut Lang moves the presentation ahead of the European schedule (from November to September), having the impact of shifting the entire fashion calendar.’’
• S/S 99. Utilitarian motorbike pants and arm bags. Flower and phantom prints, washed silver platinum leathers, silk feather coats and peasant looks. Introduction of extensions as major detail.

1999

• A/W 99-00. Introduction of interior strap extensions. Introduction of shearing and colored leathers. Pure sterling silver fabrics and anti-stress materials. Introduction of the neck-rest.
• S/S 00. Electric colors, training gear attributes translated into haute couture cuts and fabric, silk organza, feather detailing and transparent layering.
• Introduction of an extended luxury bag and shoe collection.
• Introduction of the signature industrial rubber band as functional part of accessories and shoes.

2000

• A/W 00-01. Monochromatic uniforms.
• S/S 01. Entomologic and marine biological structures. Austrian “Dirndl” influences, sharp strap compositions and lace-up.
• Launch of Helmut Lang fragrance, Men and Women. Collaboration with Jenny Holzer on Helmut Lang fragrance advertising.

2001

• A/W 01-02. Opaque and sheer contrasts, luxury materials, organza and leather trim details.
• S/S 02. Block panels, patent leather, leopard print silk, fold prints, architectural construction, organza layering and Viennese crochet. Introduction of accessory holsters and fragment pieces,

2002

• A/W 02-03. Structured layering, re-worked fisherman knits, monochromatic and metal blocks, combined scarf-tops and further incorporation of movement.
• Moves the presentation of collections back to Paris. Separate Men’s presentations through 2004. Women’s presentations continues to be shown together with men’s.
• S/S 03. Surf references, Montauk inspired, bright Day-Glo colors, bubble-wrap plastic, high contrast compositions, abstracted wetsuit bands, surf tails, cutouts, inside out made-to-measure trousers, laundry bag pattern, zipper surf couture, zipper smoking stripes and rubber signal prints.
• Limited edition silver choker by Louise Bourgeois.
• Opens made-to-measure studio in New York.

2003

• A/W 03-04. “Urban Warrior” vernacular, aviation fragmented pieces, magnetic flaps, petaled organza, layering as clothing extension, interchangeable and modular pieces, one leg smoking chap and parachute holsters. Introduction of chaps for men and women. Introduction of cashmere and fleece fused material.
• Collaboration with Louise Bourgeois in the creation of limited edition pieces.
• Music by Brigitte Cornand featuring vocals by Louise Bourgeois
• S/S 04. “Dragonfly”, cut outs, battered metal, extended fragment accessories, ornamental pouches, hand wraps, wide color palette, entomologic and urban cowboy references.
• Introduction of metallic patent leather in clothing and accessories.

2004

• A/W 04-05. Eastern European influences, colored shearing, horsehair, copper leather, Hungarian pleats, French maid look, cummerbund tops, drapée holsters, skirt capes, French lace and Russian bark pattern. Introduction of made-to-measure evening dresses.
• Collaboration with Louise Bourgeois in the creation of limited edition pieces.
• S/S 05. Maritime, rope and knot detailing, bathing suit trompe l’oeil waist. 1000 eye / pearl pieces, fishtails and sailor pant tuxedos. Introduction of elastic seersucker.

Architecture Projects

Original Helmut Lang stores (until 2005)

This section outlines the development of Helmut Lang stores and Lang's achievements in the area of architecture.

All of the original Helmut Lang stores (see select list below) have been closed. The last one to close was the Paris location in late 2005. Most of the art-inspired stores had been designed by Mr. Lang in collaboration with Gluckman Mayner Architects of New York.

1995

• Helmut Lang Munich, Kardinal Faulhaber Strasse, 3, 80333, Munich, Germany.
• Helmut Lang Milan, Via St. Andrea, 14, 20212, Milan, Italy.

1997

• Helmut Lang Vienna, Seilergasse, 6, 1010, Vienna, Austria.
• Helmut Lang New York, Worldwide Flagship Store, 80 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012, USA. 
• Helmut Lang Headquarters, 80 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012, USA.

2000

• Helmut Lang Paris, Store-in-store, Printemps, 64 Bld. Haussman, 75451, Paris, France.
• Helmut Lang Hong Kong, Store-in-store, 228-230 Landmark Central, Hong Kong.
• Helmut Lang Singapore, Store-in-store, 9 Scott Road #02-10/11/12/13, Pacific Plaza, 228210, Singapore.
• Helmut Lang Aichi, Store-in-store, Nagoya Mitsukoshi, Mitsukoshi Nagoya Sakae 2F, 3-5-1 Sakae, Naka-ku Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.
• Helmut Lang Tokyo, Store-in-store, Isetan Shinjuku Men, Isetan Shinjuku Men’s-Kan 3F, 3-14-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.
• Helmut Lang Tokyo , Store-in-store, Isetan Shinjuku Women, Isetan Shinjuku Annex Building 4F, 3-14-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.
• Helmut Lang Tokyo, Store-in-store, Shibuya Seibu Men, Seibu Shibuya Annex B 1F/4F, 21-1 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.
• Helmut Lang Tokyo, Store-in-store, Shibuya Seibu Women, Seibu Shibuya Annex B 1F/4F, 21-1 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya.
• Helmut Lang Seoul, Store-in-store, 2F, Shinsegae Department Store Kangnam Branch, 19-3 Banpo-dong, Seocho-ku, Seoul, Korea.
• Helmut Lang Kobe, Dainichi-Akashicho Building 18, Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo, Japan.
• Helmut Lang Parfums New York, 81 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012, USA.

2002

• Helmut Lang Studio, 142 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012, USA.
• Helmut Lang Made-to-Measure New York, 142 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012, USA.

2003

• Helmut Lang Paris, 219 Rue Saint-Honore, 75001, Paris, France.
• Helmut Lang Milan (new location), Via della Spiga, 11, Milan, 20121, Italy.

Fragrance Projects

Four different scents were created by Mr. Lang in cooperation with Procter & Gamble, all of which were discontinued with the closing of the brand in 2005.

• Helmut Lang (women's) - 2000
• Helmut Lang Pour Homme Perfume - 2001
• Helmut Lang Velviona (women's and men's) - limited release available exclusively at New York store - 2001
• Helmut Lang Cuiron (men's) - 2002

Awards

• CFDA, Best International Designer of the Year, 1996.
• VH-1 Vogue Award, Best Menswear Designer of the Year, 1997.
• Bildende Kunst Der Stadt Wien, 1997.
• Pitti imagine Award, Best Designer of the Nineties, 1998.
• New York Magazine Best Designer of the Year Award, 1998.
• I.D. Magazine, Design Sistinction Award for Environments, 1998.
• NYC Chapter of the American Instityute of Architects: Award for Interiors, 1998.
• Business Week/Architectural Record Award, 1999.
• The American Institute of Architects, Award for Interior Architecture, 1999.
• CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year, 2000.
• GQ Designer of the Year, 2004.
• Fashion Group International,“The Imagineers of Our Time" Award , 2004.
• LEAD Award, 2005.
• Österreichischen Ehrenzeichens für Wissenschaft und Kunst, 2009.

Helmut Lang

(fashion brand)

The Helmut Lang fashion brand was created by Austrian fashion designer Helmut Lang (born 1956) in 1986. Lang was known for his minimalist, deconstructivist, and often severe designs. The Helmut Lang brand still exists today, but has been carried on without Mr. Lang's involvement since 2005.

The Helmut Lang brand became famous in the late 1980s for its simple but refined designs, its slim suits in black or white, its denim collection, and the use of high-tech fabrics. Helmut Lang fashions were sold in upscale department stores and through select retailers, as well as in signature Helmut Lang stores around the world. In 1999, Lang entered into a partnership with Prada Group which resulted in the acquisition of the Helmut Lang brand by Prada in 2004, and Mr. Lang's departure from the label in 2005. Prada, however, struggled with the brand and consequently sold it to Link Theory of Japan in 2006. Link Theory re-launched the Helmut Lang label with new designers in 2007. Since then, Helmut Lang fashions have been available again at upscale department stores and signature Helmut Lang boutiques worldwide.

The label

Lang, a fashion autodidact, set up a made-to-measure fashion studio in Vienna in 1977 and opened a boutique named "Bou Bou Lang" there in 1979, at the age of 23. His clothes were fairly successful in his native Austria, and, after a fair exhibition of his clothes at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, initiated by the Austrian government, he branched out successfully to Paris in 1986 and created the label "Helmut Lang". He eventually withdrew from Paris and returned to Vienna in the late 1980s.

At this time in the late 1980s and early 1990s, minimalist fashion was at its height. His clothes were made with very sharp lines and careful cuts, creating basic but extremely elegant silhouettes in high quality and often high-tech fabrics. Lang's favorite colors were black and white. His slim men's suits were a favorite among fashionable advertising managers and other creatives of the time. He was compared to Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto for his sometimes austere, intellectual designs.

New York City

Lang moved to New York in 1997 and subsequently set up his company's headquarters in 80 Greene St. in SoHo in 1998. In New York, he decided in April 1998, three days before his designs were to be presented to a New York audience for the first time, to show his collection through a live internet broadcast to the world, via the newly created company's web site. As a first in the fashion industry, ads for the brand could be seen on New York taxi tops in 1998. The following season he announced to show his collections not only before New York Fashion Week, but also before the Milan and Paris runway shows. As a result, with many American designers following suit, New York Fashion Week was permanently moved up six weeks to herald the established runway shows. From 2000 on, unconventional print ads for the brand were placed with National Geographic magazine.

Helmut Lang fashion

Throughout the years, both a women's and men's line existed, kept under a single name and always presented in one fashion show. Underwear (1995) and jeans (1996) lines as well as accessories, such as footwear (1990) and fragrances (1999) were launched, but otherwise the brand was kept unified to solidify its identity and strength.

The runway show venues for the Helmut Lang label were switched from Paris (until 1998) to New York by Mr. Lang and back again to Paris by Prada (from 2002 to 2005). The collections/presentations used to be called séances de travail ("working sessions") by Mr. Lang.

Prada partnership

In 1999, Milan-based fashion house Prada acquired 51% of the Helmut Lang company in the course of a multi-brand strategy, which also included the acquisition of German fashion label Jil Sander.

Despite the quality of the clothes and the slight revival of minimalist fashion in the early 2000s, the Helmut Lang brand did not fare well. Prada fatefully decided to cancel the Helmut Lang Jeans license, which had been responsible for more than half of the brand's sales, and intended to develop an in-house accessories line. But neither the new accessories, nor the fragrances, proved a large success. Mr. Lang is said to have insisted that one of his colognes be produced when a test study by the manufacturer-to-be, Procter & Gamble, strongly suggested modifying the scent. After alleged disputes with Prada Group's CEO Patrizio Bertelli on how the brand should be continued, and after Mr. Lang had sold his remaining shares to Prada in October 2004, he left his own label in January 2005. Lang joined the growing number of designer departures, including Jil Sander from her own label at Prada and Tom Ford from Gucci. However, Mr. Lang has publicly maintained that he had "no problem" with Mr. Bertelli.

After Mr. Lang's departure, Prada unsuccessfully tried to continue the collections with an in-house design team. In March 2005, Prada closed down the label's headquarters in SoHo, New York. In September 2005, Prada announced that production of the lines had been halted. By the end of 2005, all that existed of the brand was its name: the design atelier had been closed, the collections had been discontinued and all of the art-inspired Helmut Lang stores had been shut down (with the exception of the Paris location, to sell remaining stock). The corporate web site, which formerly displayed pictures of the collections, remained online, but its contents could no longer be seen.

Acquisition by Link Theory

On March 17, 2006, Prada Group announced that, after six loss-making years, Link Theory Holdings (LTH) of Tokyo would be acquiring the Helmut Lang brand for an estimated €20 million. This came about three weeks after Prada had sold the Jil Sander label to British equity firm Change Capital Partners (CCP). Already in spring 2005, it had been rumored that Prada was trying to sell the label. Prada Group was said to want to concentrate on its core labels, Prada and Miu Miu, again. The Japanese holding company LTH, developer of the theory fashion label in Japan and the US, re-launched the Helmut Lang collections under the direction of a "suitable" designer for the spring/summer 2007 season (presented in fall 2006), in select boutiques worldwide as a "contemporary brand". The new label was said to be based out of New York City. LTH also owns profitable German fashion house Rosner, which it bought in late October 2005, as well as the Joie, PLS+T and Kulson labels.

Rumor had it for a while that Russian-born designer Alexandre Plokhov of menswear label Cloak, a former men's pattern maker for fashion house Marc Jacobs, and winner of the 2005 Swarovski's Perry Ellis Award for Emerging Talent Menswear, might be the new designer for Helmut Lang. It was never, though, expected that Lang himself would return to the label that bears his name, although Chikara Sasake, president and chief executive of LTH, gave to understand that if Lang "wants to come back, the door is always open".

Helmut Lang brand re-launch

In May 2006, it was announced that Michael and Nicole Colovos, an American-New Zealand designer couple, who formerly had their own Los Angeles-based denim label Habitual, had been installed by Link Theory as creative directors for the new Helmut Lang brand. From February 2007, select upscale retailers such as Barneys or Bergdorf Goodman started to carry the spring/summer 2007 Helmut Lang contemporary sportswear collection. The design office has been set up in West Chelsea in New York. The collection, described as "a commercial reduction of [Mr. Lang's] fashion identity", has received quite favorable reviews even though it is clearly not seen as a continuation of the original line. The item prices in the collection are about 20% above those for comparable theory items and, hence, below the original Helmut Lang prices. Link Theory expects to generate US$ 8 million in revenues in 2008, and make a profit in 2009 with the label.^[10] The company also announced that "over the long term" they intend "to also establish exclusive Helmut Lang shops" in the US, Europe and Japan.

The Helmut Lang web site was re-activated at the end of 2006 and was fully launched in spring 2007. Mr. Lang, who now resides on Long Island of independent means, is said not to be involved in the label's re-launch in any way.

Helmut Lang stores

Original stores (until 2005)

All of the original, art-inspired signature Helmut Lang stores that existed in Vienna, Munich, Milan, Paris, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo, as well as several stores-in-store in the Asian market, that existed between 1995 and 2005 have been closed. The last one to close was the Paris location in 2005 to sell remaining stock.

New stores (after 2007)

In March 2007, Link Theory opened the first post-Prada signature Helmut Lang store in Tokyo's fashionable Aoyama district. In Japan, the company has since then installed several Helmut Lang stores-in-store at local department stores. In August 2007, a new freestanding Helmut Lang store was opened on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. It is, after the Tokyo store, the second signature Helmut Lang store since the closing of the last original store in Paris. The store, in close proximity to Melrose Place, is adjacent to an existing theory store at 8424 Melrose Avenue. Another Helmut Lang store opened on September 28, 2007 on Maiden Lane in San Francisco, in the building previously occupied by Jil Sander. However, in April 2008, this store was converted into a theory store. In New York City, a temporary 'pop-up shop' opened in mid-December 2007, while the company is apparently looking for a larger location in the Meatpacking District. May 08, 2008 saw the opening of a Helmut Lang outlet store at Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in New York, however this store has since closed.

Original fragrances

Three different perfumes were associated with the Helmut Lang label, produced in cooperation with Procter & Gamble, all of which were discontinued with the closing of the original brand in 2005.

• Helmut Lang (women's) - 2000
• Helmut Lang Pour Homme - 2001
• Helmut Lang Cuiron (men's) - 2002