The Decline and Fall of Helmut Lang

Yeah, read it. Looks like the worst thing he did, moneywise, was jettisoning the jeans line.

There is good news however; as this leaves room for a new generation of designers to take over.

Jon.

But in reducing the production of Helmut Lang denim, Prada was in a sense killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. "This may have been good for the image, but maybe not good for the business," Ms. Sozzani said. "The entire business was based on the jeans."

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In like of the retail developments in the past 5 years, that was probably one of the biggest miscalculations in recent fashion history. Many more major designers, from Gucci to Ferre, have jeans regularly in their collections, and some (Dolce & Gabbana) present them as the centerpieces of some of their collections - to great success. This not to mention the proliferation of "premium denim", which has APC, Evisu, and Helmut Lang as benchmarks.

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But in reducing the production of Helmut Lang denim, Prada was in a sense killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. "This may have been good for the image, but maybe not good for the business," Ms. Sozzani said. "The entire business was based on the jeans."
In like of the retail developments in the past 5 years, that was probably one of the biggest miscalculations in recent fashion history. Many more major designers, from Gucci to Ferre, have jeans regularly in their collections, and some (Dolce & Gabbana) present them as the centerpieces of some of their collections - to great success. This not to mention the proliferation of "premium denim", which has APC, Evisu, and Helmut Lang as benchmarks.
Fok, you are 1 post away from 4000 posts. Jon.

Hmm. You will surpass LA Guy in ~363 days (assuming linearity and constant avg. # of posts/day). For me to be #1, it seems that murder is my only option. You two have too much time on your hands. I suggest girlfriends.

Here is my 4000th post. A useless one. Oh well. I have a fiancee, am looking for faculty jobs, writing manuscripts, and am getting married in a month or so, so I have no idea how/why I post so much. Maybe the fact that I work with computer models, and sit in front of the glowing screen about 12 hours a day, has something to do with it.

I'd say most professionnals who spend at least half their time in front of a computer take many small pauses to look at non-productive places like the styleforum. Well that's what I do....

I was only teasing, LA Guy. I like your posts. They are second, however, to johnapril, who I find utterly incomprehensible, yet hilarious.

To get this topic back on track, why would I buy HL? Besides the suits---which are fabulous---you can get similar items at a *much* lower price point elsewhere (e.g. Yoko Devereaux). I suppose if I wanted a jean jacket with bondage straps I'm locked into HL.

I'd say most professionnals who spend at least half their time in front of a computer take many small pauses to look at non-productive places like the styleforum. Well that's what I do....

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"Small" is relative. "Non-productive" equally so.

His sweatshirts and jean jackets are really well designed and made of really good materials. And they are not much more expensive than streetwear brands, relatively spreaking, of course.

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Because you can't, really. HL suits are pretty distinctive, and like Jil Sander, he has perfected a singular silhouette - lean, with narrow, slanted structured shoulders, minimal waist suppression (better hope that you are tall and lean), slim lapels, paired with straight leg or tapered, medium low rise flat front pants.

Hmm. You will surpass LA Guy in ~363 days (assuming linearity and constant avg. # of posts/day). For me to be #1, it seems that murder is my only option. You two have too much time on your hands. I suggest girlfriends.

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Ew, girls yucky, no.... j/k Seriously though, my work consists of periods of extremely boring lulls or a mad dash rush pace that on some days barely allows me to eat lunch. Jon.

Fortunatly, they've found a new man for the job- Raf Simons. http://www.fashionweekdaily.com/content....oneid=1 http://www.rafsimons.com/ Bio: http://users.telenet.be/rafsimons/bio.html Makes you kinda wonder what will happen to his eponymous label.

Didn't like Raf Simons' designs...

Didn't like Raf Simons' designs...

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Haha, that's good, because he's actually replacing jil sander, not Lang. It turns out that I may be mildly marsupialed. And blind.