Helmut Lang A/W 2019 New York Fashion Week Women’s

Helmut Lang A/W 2019.

(Image credit: Jason Lloyd-Evans)

Mood board: Few brands can lay claim to the cool, New York credentials that are synonymous with Helmut Lang. Representative of the 1990s zeitgeist, the label has unwaveringly tried to recapture the same magic it wielded more than 20 years before. In the last couple of years, Helmut Lang has tapped the expertise of ‘editors in residence', which has resulted in wide-ranging interpretations of what Helmut Lang means today. In contrast to the label's last runway showing for Spring/Summer 2018, which saw Hood by Air's Shayne Oliver infuse clothing with a streetwear aesthetic, this latest collection pays homage to the 1990s minimalism that Lang pioneered. Creative directors Mark Thomas and Thomas Cawson created a precise wardrobe of urban essentials primed for city life.

Scene setting: Staged in an empty retail space on a ground floor in Chelsea, showgoers were given a hip welcome with bottles of beer and cartons of water ready on hand. A screen, emblazoned with the label's iconic logo in red, later projected live feed of the runway presentation, giving everyone in the audience a 360 degree look at the collection.

Best in show: Tailoring took a renewed focus this season with inspirations drawn from the suiting of artist Joseph Beuys. Crafted in materials like grey wool flannel, lava melton wool, polished black leather and double-face white viscose, these new renditions possessed a captivating vigour that teased the eye.

New York Fashion Week — Helmut Lang A/W 2019.

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Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.