Helmut Lang at the MAK: A journey through fashion and digital pioneering work

Helmut Lang at the MAK: A journey through fashion and digital pioneering work

Next month, Vienna will be the setting for a fascinating retrospective of the influential fashion designer Helmut Lang. This will load from December 10, 2025 to May 3, 2026 MAK Vienna to the exhibition "Helmut Lang. Séance de Travail 1986–2005", which offers an exciting insight into Lang's creative work.

The upcoming show presents key positions from Helmut Lang's largest and only public archive, which was handed over to the museum in 2011. This extensive archive includes more than 10,000 records documenting the development of Lang's label from 1986 to 2005. “I see this as a living archive,” says Lang, hoping it inspires others to find their own creative voice, like FashionUnited reported.

A complete work of fashion and art

The exhibition offers a wide range of insights into Lang's working methods and approach to design. Not only his performative form of presentation “Séance de Travail” is highlighted, but also his cross-gender approach and early engagement with digital media. In particular, the first online-streamed fashion show in 1998/1999 is highlighted as historically significant, where Lang used the Internet to make fashion more accessible. Instead of exclusive invitations, he sent out CD-ROMs to provide access to a wider public, describes FashionUnited.

The exhibition also features world-class installations by artists such as Jenny Holzer and Louise Bourgeois, with whom Lang has worked. These collaborations shaped a new visual language in fashion and redefined the boundaries between creative disciplines, according to Today.

A production in multimedia dimensions

Visitors can look forward to an impressive production in which original digitized video documentation of the “Séance” shows will be presented. There will also be a look back at the Helmut Lang flagship stores, which represent a radical aesthetic in New York and Paris. Elements of these stores are recreated to scale, and unique backstage material complements the show. This multimedia presentation promises to provide a deep insight into the mindset of the designer and artist MAK Vienna.

The exhibition is accompanied by curator Marlies Wirth, who gives Lang's works a contemporary, site-specific presentation. She receives scientific support from Lara Steinhäusser, who works intensively on the MAK collection. This retrospective will clearly be a highlight for the fashion and art scene in Vienna and far beyond.

The opening on December 10th promises to be an exciting event that will bring the various facets of Lang's work to life and impressively reflect the development of the fashion world. The MAK invites everyone interested in fashion to embark on an inspiring journey through the work of one of the most influential designers of the last decades.