Editor’s Note: The much-maligned helmet is the subject of a Lange New exhibition At Mack in Vienna. As part of Vogue Runway’s ongoing efforts to document the history of fashion shows, we’re closing out 2025 by adding fully digitized shows to the site. The Fall 1995 ready-to-wear collection was presented in March 1995 in Paris.
The more time I spend with Helmut Lang’s past work, the more cautious I am about coming into it with expectations, as the designer continues to surprise at every turn. By 1995 Vogue was determined to be “at once a classicist and a minimalist.” At least That’s the term that usually gets stuck around like superglue. As a result, the effect of Lang’s latent romanticism—which played out slowly and gloriously—in his fall 1995 show.
Things started on a strong note with Stella Tennant wearing a perfectly tailored tight black coat with black and black pants with white bands above the knees and white bands above deep cuffs that widened slightly as they spread from the ankles. Here was a civilian uniform with points of interest. It would read a bit androgynous if not for the sheer pumps that accessorized the look. This two-tone shoe style has feminine connotations, which Lange has a bent to her style.
VogueThe collection was summed up as “classic Balenciaga shapes with high-performance details.” Among them was Lang’s use of reflective materials, which appeared on both utility clothing and dressier, including knee-length skirts with trains. Chiffon panels wafted down the back of the lingerie-style dress. Many of them had elastic control straps, some with lace bands. Yes, there was a pink twinset thrown in with a clear sequin, but there was also the perfect khaki suit. Boy hats were the counterpart to feather-trimmed hair. A silvery burnished gold satin at the waist of the herringbone trousers was pure elegance. Lang never struck Lily gold, but her Midas touch is undeniable.
