yourenotpunk

It is not a piece under Helmut Lang himself, that is most important to note. Probably a menswear line from Japan under Naoki Takizawa that was started in Japan when the menswear line of Helmut Lang under Theory was discontinued.

Naoki Takizawa: A new knight to represent Helmut Lang

Helmut Lang is making the news, thanks to the appointment of Naoki Takizawa as head of menswear design, starting with the new fall collection.

Takizawa started at Issey Miyake in 1982, working his way up to become head designer of menswear and then later of womenswear as well, before leaving to create his own eponymous brand in 2006.

Since then, he has received enough awards to fill an ample-sized trophy case, including the prestigious Mainichi Award in Tokyo and the Bessie Award for costume design in New York. In 2007, he was also made a knight in the Order of the Arts and Letters in Paris. His consistent, stoic style makes him a natural at interpreting Helmut Lang’s sharp, simple, yet edgy aesthetic.

Helmut Lang began as a high-end line that spearheaded the minimalistic look of the 1990s. Then, in a move that shocked the fashion world, Link Theory Holdings of Tokyo bought it from the Prada Group in 2006 and rebranded it as a more affordable, commercial line.

With Takizawa now on the team, the question is: Will Helmut Lang go back to its former high-end star status? PR representative Yayoi Tomatsu reassures us that it will not, saying, “We hope that everyone will understand that we are still a contemporary brand.” Prices for the Takizawa-designed pieces reflect this sentiment and are not completely out of reach, with tailored jackets in a metallic sheen for about ¥70,000 and dress shirts at around ¥30,000.

With that being said, do take a look at the MA-1 jackets tag here and familiarise with the old Helmut Lang styles.