Just two seasons on, Peter Do is out of Helmut Lang

Peter Do taking his bow after the showing if his debut collection for Helmut Lang in September 2023. Screen shot: bayoucool2/YouTube

Less than 24 hours after Phillip Lim announced he was stepping down from his role as creative director of the brand he co-founded, it is revealed that Vietnamese designer Peter Do is leaving Helmut Lang. A statement by Fast Retailing, owner of the brand (as well as Uniqlo), diplomatically claim appreciation for what Mr Do had done: “Peter Do joined Helmut Lang in 2023, bringing a fresh perspective and revitalizing the brand for a new generation. He reinforced the brand’s reputation for pushing boundaries while honoring its minimalist roots”. But even that was insufficient reason from preventing the 33-year-old from parting ways with the brand that has been undergoing several unsuccessful resurrections, which dented his ability to ensure a consistent brand image.

Helmut Lang seems poised to be the brand no one is able to return to its former glory after its eponymous designer left in 2005, a year shy of the label’s 20th year. Peter Do debuted with the brand in 2023 as its creative director. While the debut collection was generally thought to be appealing, it was not the sterner stuff that Helmut Lang almost desperately needed to turn itself dramatically around. Mr Do himself said, also via a statement, “I want to express my gratitude to my Helmut Lang team, who have been integral in supporting my vision. It’s been an incredible journey to be tasked to carry on the legacy of Helmut Lang”, describing his experience there as an “opportunity of a lifetime and an experience that I will never forget.” So what went wrong?

Mr Do’s two-season tenure is moderately better than those designers at other houses who managed only one before stepping down. Yet, however close in spirit his attempts were in narrowing the gap between what Helmut Lang was and what the slew of designers of the past 19 years deemed it should be, he did not put out anything spectacular, let alone memorable. What fans of the brand remember Helmut Lang to be was not convincingly evoked and whatever that was extreme enough could not push the label onto a different path. But, perhaps, the bigger problem lies with the brand itself, still clinging to its past glory and trying to arouse the customers who have moved on. It is also rather hard to understand that Peter Do was not given the chance to get into his groove before deciding that his rhythm was not the dancer they desired.