9 December 2025  International Press Conference at MAKOn the morning of December 9, 2025, the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna hosted an international press conference ahead of the opening of the exhibition HELMUT LANG. SÉANCE DE TRAVAIL 1986–2005 / Excerpts from the MAK Helmut Lang Archive. Journalists from several countries attended the preview, among them Fashion.at. The conference took place in the central exhibition hall, already transformed by a large-scale, site-specific installation that sets the tone for the show.MAK General Director Lilli Hollein welcomed the guests and briefly outlined the background of the long-term collaboration with Helmut Lang. In a short conversation with Fashion.at, Hollein emphasized that the cooperation was shaped by Lang's strong interest in the ongoing activities and research of the MAK. Since the Helmut Lang Archive has been part of the MAK collection since 2011, the exhibition builds on years of close exchange rather than a short-term project. Insights from the Archive and Curatorial PracticeIn the official press statement, Helmut Lang describes the MAK archive as a "living archive" and expresses his hope that it encourages others to find their own voice. This understanding of work as an open process is central to the exhibition concept. Curator Marlies Wirth, who guided journalists through the exhibition on the same day, was able to gain direct insight into Lang's creative process through personal exchange with the artist. The exhibition reflects this access by focusing not only on results, but on methods, relationships, and decisions behind the work.The presentation is deliberately objective in tone and aims to show Helmut Lang's oeuvre as a coherent whole. Fashion is not isolated, but placed in dialogue with architecture, art, media, and spatial design. The exhibition makes clear that Lang's significance lies in the creation of a body of work that goes far beyond seasonal collections. A Walk-Through of a Fashion History MomentDifferent sections of the exhibition are dedicated to campaigns, photographic work, store architecture, runway concepts, and media strategies. The largest room features an impressive installation related to the Séance de Travail Autumn/Winter 2004/2005 fashion show in Paris. At its core is a floor plan originally used to organize the show, recreated almost one-to-one in the MAK exhibition hall.Seats are marked with the names of international guests and their professional roles, whether from leading fashion magazines or major buyers from London, Paris, or New York. While walking through the installation, visitors encounter many well-known names, including Vogue's Anna Wintour and Brigitte Winkler from the Austrian daily newspaper Kurier. Fashion.at briefly spoke with Winkler at the seat reserved for her. Asked whether the exhibition provides a good overview of Helmut Lang's work, she noted that it offers deep insight, but also requires visitors to read a lot in order to fully understand what is on display. An article on the exhibition is expected to appear soon in Kurier. Vienna Then and NowThe exhibition begins in 1986 and traces nearly two decades of work. Some contemporaries from Vienna's 1980s and early 1990s scene may find that this vibrant and productive local context could have been explored more deeply. For many creatives in Vienna, Helmut Lang represents not only an outstanding fashion designer, but also an innovative, forward-looking mindset that found fertile ground in the city during that period. The MAK exhibition positions his work within an international framework, while leaving space for further discussion about Vienna's role in shaping this influential career.Images, from left: Lilli Hollein, General Director of the MAK, shortly before the start of the press conference on 9 December 2025, standing in the central exhibition hall with the site-specific installation based on the seating chart of the 'Séance de Travail' Autumn/Winter 2004/05 show in Paris, recreated as a full-scale floor installation. Right: Brigitte Winkler standing at the seat reserved for her. Photos: © Fashion.at |