From 1996 to 2004, Helmut Lang integrated a series of artist collaborations into his brand’s operations. These weren’t one-off campaigns but ongoing contributions embedded into the label’s runway shows, print media, and physical spaces. Artists were invited to develop original works that ran parallel to the collections, using commercial platforms as public, conceptual arenas. The following five projects reflect that structure.
1. Jenny Holzer – I Smell You on My Skin
In 1996, during the Biennale di Firenze, Helmut Lang and Jenny Holzer presented a collaborative installation in a temporary pavilion. Inside, a custom fragrance designed by Lang filled the space. Holzer’s LED projections displayed scrolling text across the pavilion’s walls and the Arno River. The installation featured no garments or models, positioning scent and language as the primary materials.
2. Louise Bourgeois – Soundtrack and T-Shirt
As part of the Autumn/Winter 2003 runway show, Lang incorporated a recording of French songs sung by Louise Bourgeois into the soundtrack, remixed by Frédéric Sanchez. A limited-edition T-shirt followed, featuring Bourgeois’s drawing and the phrase “WHAT IS THE SHAPE OF THIS SONG.” A CD of the soundtrack was also distributed. The project operated in parallel with the collection, using Bourgeois’s contributions in audio and print formats.
3. Robert Mapplethorpe – Archival Ads
From 1997 to 1999, Helmut Lang Jeans campaigns featured licensed photographs by Robert Mapplethorpe. The images included still lifes and portraits previously exhibited and published by the artist. They appeared in publications such as The Face without styling or new photography. These campaigns presented the Mapplethorpe works as-is, paired with Helmut Lang branding.
4. Jenny Holzer – Fragrance Posters
In 2000, Helmut Lang commissioned Jenny Holzer to create a campaign for his first fragrance. Instead of using model-based imagery, Holzer’s text appeared on mirrored silver backgrounds across print ads and billboards. These were original works developed for the project, positioned as both advertising and public art.
5. Louise Bourgeois – Store Installations
Installed in 2004, Lang placed Bourgeois’s sculpture LAIR in the window display of his Paris boutique. Around the same period, a spider sculpture by Bourgeois was positioned inside Lang’s Greene Street studio in New York. These installations were not promotional in intent but treated the brand’s retail and creative spaces as temporary hosts for sculptural works.
