Size IT 52 (slightly oversize): Best for an IT54 - 44 Chest - XL or an IT 52 - 42 Chest - L. Can also be worn oversize by smaller sizes.
Helmut Lang distressed cotton zip jacket with bondage straps from S/S 2000. In excellent used condition with minor signs of wear throughout. Made in Italy.
'The word "define" seems key to Lang's vision. Some designers are all about short-term looks, their collections changing completely from season to season. But Lang's is more of an investigative process, starting from his basic shapes and extrapolating from them into whatever style takes his mood. Within this, the definition of the pieces - how they sit on the wearer, what they cover and what they reveal, what mood they reflect, what function they perform - is imperative.' - Charlie Porter in The Guardian, February 2003 (my emphasis)
Helmut Lang's output was rarely defined by short-term seasonal trends. Design elements seen in his early collections were reworked and reiterated throughout his career, highlighting Lang's emphasis on refinement rather than novelty. The classic zip-front blouson is a prime example of this attitude: Introduced in the late 1980s, it is one of the designer's seminal wardrobe staples for men with variations of the design produced every season until the label's demise (pictured: S/S 1998, 1995 and 1992.) Its effortless form evokes sophistication and understatement: A simple zipper closure, a rectangular patch pocket and a precise point collar complete the design. The aesthetic is streamlined, geometric and fetishistically precise.
This spectacular version from the S/S 2000 collection is crafted from a robust cotton twill that has been washed, brushed and then hand-distressed to give it a worn-in finishwith minor colour irregularities and signs of wear around its edges. Furthermore, the jacket features the designer's distinctive bondage straps. The intricate construction of the interior allows for the piece to be carried on the shoulders like a backpack, or strapped to the body like a harness. When the jacket is worn casually, the straps hang below the jacket's hem, giving a covertly perverse character to the otherwise minimalist design.
As it is to be expected from Helmut Lang, the piece exhibits an abundance of well thought-out features. The front zipper has an antique silver finish and the cuffs have a double-layered construction that gives them a better shape. The interior has a single pocket, positioned precisely at the same location as the exterior pocket to ensure that it remains invisible from the outside. The bondage elements are made from herringbone cotton tape and consist of two vertical straps for carrying, a detachable extension that secures to the back with a button and an adjustable horizontal strap that secures with D-rings. The reinforced area where the carrying straps fasten has been topstitched directly on the jacket's back, creating a linear outline that is unexpectedly decorative. This is also the case with the rectangular-shaped stitching of the Helmut Lang Jeans labels placed below the collar.
An outstanding garment, this jacket is a quintessential Helmut Lang design. Its nuance and precision encapsulate the Austrian designer's pioneering approach to contemporary menswear. At the same time, we are looking at a fantastic garment that looks and feels just as relevant as when it was first conceived nearly thirty years ago. Strongly recommended.
