Welcome to the 76th insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode we find ourselves in a historic moment, remembering a fashion first with Helmut Lang.
In today’s age, it can be hard to imagine a world without technology. We currently live in a “see it, buy it” society, made possible through millions of coded lines, each corresponding to a predetermined outcome. With regard to fashion, the digital age has allowed us to not only experiment but communicate in an unprecedented manner, opening the floodgates to a whirl of creativity and universal culture - but it wasn’t always this way.
Prior to 1998, the only way to assume a style was to come up with it, see it, or hear about it. There wasn’t much sharing per se, aside from stand-alone advertisements and general fads. While this allowed subcultures to flourish without interference and sparked a distinct sense of individuality, it was quite limiting in regard to couture. Runways were still a widely gatekept event, poised as a viewing exclusively for the rich to gawk at.
While this may have made sense in the early 19th century when the “middle class” was just poor and the wealthy were extravagant, times had changed and Helmut Lang knew this. The year 1998 and while cyberspace was still in its infancy, the designer had sensed “that the Internet would grow into something much bigger than imaginable”.
Lang was in the process of moving from Paris to the neighborhoods of New York when he decided to shift the runway online. Helmut Lang’s Fall 1998 collection would mark the first ever digital presentation based in both URL and CD-ROM format, creating a paradigm shift throughout the industry. The CD came in a metallic gold exterior, cased in a minimal, transparent shell, while the website lacked any detail at all, being a simple hyperlink and collection title.
When clicked, a grid pattern of imagery appeared, revealing the show in high-definition (device permitting). Fall ‘98 resides as one of the most influential runway shows to this date, and continues to change how we interact with fashion.
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