Are Peter Do and Helmut Lang The Perfect Pairing?
At what point should we let a brand gracefully retire, to enjoy it’s space in our collective memories and let new talent take the lead? That’s the question on my mind in the wake of the highly anticipated opening show of the NYFW SS24 season - Helmut Lang by Peter Do.
Peter Do is a name much lauded in the luxury fashion arena with stripped back aesthetics and in a flourishing love affair with tailoring, the matrimony between Lang and Do certainly made sense. And yet, upon his debut at the fashion brand, onecan’t help but question the compatibility of this marriage.
“For me, I always look up to people who are consistent, who know what they want, persevere, really believe in what they’re doing and go for it.” were Do’s words to Vogue ahead of the big day.
Helmut Lang SS24
Image: Daniele Oberrauch
Helmut Lang SS24
Image: Daniele Oberrauch
It’s evident that Do fell first in the relationship, going as far as to wear a pair of Lang denim jeans he had purchased a decade earlier to the interview for this new role. Do’s abundunt affection for Lang’s work was on display for all to witness in his SS24 collection.
Not typically known for his use of bright tones, Do dared to jump straight into the Lang fashion bible injecting fuschias and golden yellow into a majority of ensembles by way of silk belts, light wool knit dresses and classic colour blocking segmentation. Somewhere among the colour and numerous Lang references lay a glimpse of Peter Do the sleek, slick and sexy designer. Somewhere.
Paying homage to a house’s history is almost always at the forefront of any new creative director’s mind and, quite frankly, no one can belittle that. Peter Do for Helmut Lang was one vast reference both to the lasting legacy of Lang as well as the hustle and bustle of New York City. Realistically though, how far can a reference take you creatively?
At what time do you call quits on a relationship which, while the perfect match on paper, falls lackluster at the altar? A perfectly one sided union with one party, arguably the wrong party, taking the backstep.
