In 2005, minimalist pioneer Helmut Lang quit fashion. Evolving his creative practice, he began – from his bases in New York and Long Island – to make experimental 2D and 3D artworks. Five years later, when a fire at Lang's Manhattan studio destroyed nearly 9000 archive pieces, he began incorporating shredded elements of his own work into totemic and figurative sculptures smothered in sticky resin, tar, gold leaf or glossy white paint. Lang's decision to regenerate pieces of his own fashion history into raw materials for a new body of work, raised questions regarding the relevance of heritage, longevity and creative evolution. In today's fashion industry, his approach chimes with questions around how to reuse deadstock materials, rendered unfashionable at a season's end.
Saint Laurent’s Anthony Vaccarello has long found inspiration in Lang’s approach to design, from his pared-back aesthetics to his then-pioneering decision to unite the art and fashion worlds, resulting in collaborations with Louise Bourgeois and Jenny Holzer. As part of Vaccarello's consideration of reuse and regeneration, the creative director has invited Lang to create a series of pillar-like sculptures constructed from compacted Saint Laurent items, including clothing prototypes and unfinished items of jewellery.
The result is a stack of totemic structures, formed from shredded Saint Laurent items which have been mixed with a pigmented resin and molded in aluminium. The artworks will be displayed at the maison’s Rive Droite store in Paris, an imaginative outpost which opened last autumn as a concept space, housing a curation of collaborative products and artworks, including Everlast boxing gear and African sculptures from Galerie Lucas Ratton.
RELATED STORY
The artworks are a symbol of transformation and regeneration, with Vaccarello not only relinquishing elements of his own archive, but also putting their visual power in the hands of another artist. Vaccarello found fascination with Lang’s early artistic collaborations, and here he has pioneered another.
INFORMATION
www.ysl.com
-
Wallpaper* checks in at the refreshed W Hollywood: ‘more polish and less party’The W Hollywood introduces a top-to-bottom reimagining by the Rockwell Group, capturing the genuine warmth and spirit of Southern California
-
Book a table at Row on 5 in London for the dinner party of dreamsRow on 5, the first restaurant ever to open on Savile Row, emerges as a perfectly tailored fit for fans of fan dining
-
How a bijou jewellery salon in Monaco set the jewellery trends for 2025Inside the inaugural edition of Joya, where jewellery is celebrated as miniature works of art
-
Fashionable Christmas baubles to accessorise this year’s tree, from Bottega Veneta to LoeweSelected by the Wallpaper* style team, a gleaming array of Christmas baubles for fashion fans featuring fantastical designs from Bottega Veneta, Loewe, Prada and more
-
The Wallpaper* S/S 2025 trend report: ‘A rejection of the derivative and the expected’Wallpaper* fashion features editor Jack Moss unpacks five trends and takeaways from the S/S 2025 shows, which paid ode to individual style and transformed the everyday
-
The breathtaking runway sets of S/S 2025, from beanbag animals to a twisted living roomWallpaper* picks the best runway sets and show spaces of fashion month, which featured Bottega Veneta’s beanbag menagerie, opulence at Saint Laurent, and artist collaborations at Acne Studios and Burberry
-
‘There is a renewed desire to be elegant’: why men’s tailoring is more relevant than everFar from a dying art form, men’s tailoring is gaining momentum thanks to a diverse array of designers who are using the garment to change the way we move and feel, says Simon Chilvers
-
Saint Laurent’s ‘Tan Lines’ collection is made for the heat of summerA host of warm-weather essentials get the Saint Laurent treatment in Anthony Vaccarello’s ‘Tan Lines’ capsule – from bikes and tennis balls to swimwear and handbags
-
Women’s Fashion Week S/S 2025: what to expectNext week sees the arrival of Women’s Fashion Week S/S 2025, with stops in New York, London, Milan and Paris. Here, our comprehensive guide to the month, from Alaïa’s arrival in New York to Alessandro Michele’s Valentino debut
-
Pre-Fall 2024’s defining looks combine sharp silhouettes with a soft touchA play on texture defines the Pre-Fall 2024 collections, seeing clean lines and pin-sharp tailoring meet soft-to-the-touch fabrics. Here, photographer Mattia Parodi captures the season’s best looks
-
The best fashion moments at Milan Design Week 2024Scarlett Conlon discovers the moments fashion met design at Salone del Mobile and Milan Design Week 2024, as Loewe, Hermès, Bottega Veneta, Prada and more staged intriguing presentations and launches across the city
