Helmut Dialogues VII

Part IV of 'Duplicate Diptych Week'



1. Helmut Lang Spring/Summer 2001
2. Acne Pre-Fall 2013

In this case, the body-conscious 'original' is replaced by a free-spirited 'play' of volume. It may thus not be regarded as remake of a classic but its caberet adaption. The costume as tragic-comical tribute.
/HORST

Helmut Dialogues VI

1. Helmut Lang Spring/Summer 2004
2. Dior Spring/Summer 2013

When he presented his first ready-to-wear collection for Dior, Raf Simons wore a denim jacket with three painted stripes from Helmut Lang, released in 1995. The year when Raf Simons started his own menswear label.
/HORST

Helmut Dialogues V

1. Helmut Lang Spring/Summer 2005
2. Raf Simons Fall/Winter 2013

"That is especially my aim the last couple of years. That once it creates a dialogue, it's good. Whether if it's a good or a bad reaction. The best is always when there is a mix of reactions, I think." - Raf SImons
/HORST

Helmut Dialogues IV

1. Helmut Lang Spring/Summer 2005
2. Dior Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2013

In this dialogue, topics re-appear as answers. And motifs change tonality and shape. It is an intelligent conversation, an intelectual one. It's a discussion of kitsch and feminity. From two, very masculine, point of views.
/HORST

Helmut Dialogues III

1. Helmut Lang Spring/Summer 2004
2. Jil Sander Fall/Winter 2012

It was the tear-dropping, last and celebrated collection of Raf Simons for Jil Sander for Helmut Lang. A metallic homage that left (no one) speechless. But the battle for fatherhood will be continued on an arena known as 'Dior Haute Couture'.
/HORST

Helmut Dialogues II

1. Helmut Lang Spring/Summer 1997
2. Jil Sander Fall/Winter 2009

If Raf Simons' stepmother is Jil Sander, his anticipated father would be Helmut Lang. A figure that punished him/us with distance and retreat. Thus, he is left with an Oedipus complex that demands psycho therapy and a few collections more.
/HORST

Helmut Dialogues

1. Helmut Lang Fall/Winter 2004
2. Jil Sander Spring/Summer 2010

From Balenciaga Questions to Raf Simons' continuous dialogue with the/his admittedly admired master Helmut Lang. This time, it is not a story of plagiarism but an attempt of communication and the search for a lost father.
/HORST