A Closer Look At Helmut Lang’s ‘Lost’ Archive

‘Did he start the fire?’ I ask Joakim Andreasson, the author of Helmut Lang Archive Dispersed, a visual archive of designs from before Lang left his namesake brand in 2005. It’s a project that came about when Andreasson was tasked with reorganising the archive after a fire ravaged the iconic SoHo flagship in 2010. The stuff of fashion legend as flames engulfed the iconic storefront one unassuming evening the fashion world was left in shock and disbelief.

His answer is, of course, ‘no’. It’s an absurd question that speaks to the mythos around Helmut Lang the man who came to define an era of sleek, sophisticated, and subversive fashion that continues to be revered and referenced today. A complete accident of poor construction safety measures is what led to the devastating event. Still, not all was lost.

In fact, what was left was a mess that Andreasson was tasked with cleaning up. After joining the Helmut Lang press office after graduating from Parsons School of Design, the creative director, curator, and founder of cult-favourite shot CultureEdit in Los Angeles, went on to oversee the designer’s studio from 2005 to 2012 as it transitioned from fashion to art. Over three years between 2015 to 2017, Andreasson took stock of the fire’s remnants, documenting every piece along the way.

‘You can look at it from different perspectives. As an encapsulation of his career, or as something artistic,’ he tells me. Andreasson's collection of over 10,300 photographs was edited down and published by Baron Books, showcasing the salvaged garments and accessories which were later sold to collectors around the world. ‘They’re not meant to be beautiful’, he says of the photographs.

Whether purposeful or not, the snapshot documentation harkens to the imagery that defined Helmut Lang in the mid-90s. Notably, the backstage images of models like Alek Wek and Kirsten Owen. By evoking this sense of intimacy and immediacy in this imagery, like Lang, Andreasson blurs the lines between fashion and art, immersing readers in the less-than-glossy world that defined fashion at the designer’s height.

It might have been over two decades since Lang presented a new collection, but there continues to be a voracious appetite for his work. There’s a confidence that I don’t think we see today. Confidence to be restrained. To hold back,’ he tells me. ‘It upholds a certain soulful integrity that you don’t see nowadays’.

The book features some of the most iconic designs from Lang’s time including the S/S 04 ‘Cowboy’ tee (which was subsequently reissued in 2017), and a transparent plastic shirt from A/W 95. His subtle sensuality and radical use of unconventional material tapped into the raw, visceral energy of the era, setting the scene for a new era of fashion experimentation and boundary-pushing design. These garments not only reflect Lang's innovative approach to fashion but also capture the zeitgeist of the late 20th century, where rebellion and individuality reigned supreme.

Of course, all great empires fall and for many, that's exactly what happened when Helmut Lang left the brand behind in 2005. ‘It was the time of it-bags and fragrances. There was luxury-group hysteria. Everyone wanted to pump out more bags, and hope the right celebrity would carry it’, Andreasson explains. ‘That pressure was never what [Helmut Lang] was about. He was creating a design language that was soulful and conceptual. Wearable but not completely understood. He was always about creating tension.’

In today's fashion landscape, where innovation often takes a backseat to commercialism, the legacy of Helmut Lang serves as a reminder of the power of creative expression to provoke thought and emotion. Having spent years becoming familiar with the 'lost' archive, I ask Andreasson why he thinks Lang's legacy continues to influence fashion decades since he retired. ‘It still feels modern today. It feels new and relevant.'.

Limited to 1000 copies, Helmut Lang Archive Dispersed is available now at baronbooks.co.uk.