When was the last time you were you?

Peter Do for Helmut Lang SS24

Sep 10, 2023

Okay, okay, okay…

I’m back!

And we have, oh, so much to discuss.

First, I must address what happened Friday: Helmut Lang by Peter Do—something we’ve all been anticipating since the announcement of his appointment. Prior to the show, I saw an article from Highsnobiety titled: Peter Do is New York Fashion’s Greatest Hope. But after Friday’s presentation, were our hopes a little too high?

I’ve had my eyes on Peter Do since the very beginning of his journey. And I too, at one point, might’ve argued that Do was at the top of my list for being one of NYFW's saving grace. But I’ve also had to ask myself, what does that mean? What does that even look like? If we consider that statement from a design standpoint, how impactful are Do’s designs? Considering I wrote about him last fall, as a designer with a modern vision for American women, his succession seemed fitting. Not perfect, but could potentially get the job done.

Now, if we take those designs, and put them into production to be profitable on the market, what then does that statement mean? Because essentially, no designer can be a saving grace without product being made and sold. If handling one’s own business is quite shaky, how will things be tended to elsewhere? Would one be able to juggle the two? Was this appointment a bit too early in Do’s career?

As a New York-based designer, who is also keen on tailored minimalistic designs, Do at Helmut Lang made sense. But, at the same time, I questioned if he’s a bit too poised, too clean, to embody Lang’s sexy militia approach. If he’s up for the challenge, this collection might explore another side of Do. Otherwise, it will fall flat if a risk isn’t taken. Will Do’s vision of minimalism be reimagined?

Friday afternoon, the suspense was surely silenced, when the show opened with the words: “if you are lost, meet me where the stitches come apart”. A woman walked out in a beautifully tailored black suit, a fuchsia seat belt strap along the chest, with the detail ribboned down the sides of the trousers. Very much so paying homage to a color Lang adored and his F/W 2003 collection.

Resembling the busy streets of New York, models paraded over a printed concrete floor in their white tanks tucked into their straight-legged trousers, oversized turtlenecks with knee-high boots, and tailored sets layered with gold straps. Their stride was accompanied by Ocean Vuong’s poetic words. As a sucker for poetry and it’s passionate, heartfelt wordplay, Do’s collaboration with Vuong stole the show.

“This is how I carry us. For in your skin, I place my trust.”

“My life is a weapon. Held to my throat, so I could sing.”

“To love well, is to place your hand on his chest. Knowing the heart only beats when locked in a cage of bone.”

To hear those words be spoken and to read them as the models pass them by evoked great emotion. You could almost consider, is this what the minds and hearts of others whisper to me in passing? For a second I forgot why we were here…the clothes. To be honest, when I now think about the presentation, I only see Vuong's words. I like to think that a presentation is like makeup: to enhance. Not overshadow, hide, and distract. Otherwise, we’re in the wrong business.

To be fair, Do actually created a very well-tailored collection. The clothes had great fluidity. There were several references to Lang’s archives, overkill maybe? But, overall, the collection was a bit too safe, a bit too literal. It was an interpretation that was all too familiar. There was not an ounce of risqué. And other than the oversized silhouettes, I didn’t see much of Do either. “When was the last time you were you?”, I think that’s what’s missing…more of Do. It was a collection that referenced the past but forgot its relevance to this moment in time.

I say it every year, I am a strong believer that some doors need to be closed and stay closed once a founder has stepped away. Some things aren’t meant to last forever. Allow a legacy to hold its title. There’s a designer emerging every second of the day. What is the purpose of this exercise if a new perspective isn’t offered? Who are these clothes for? Are they even needed?

How to:

Discussion about this post