Peter Do Takes His Final Bow At Helmut Lang, Exits The Label After Two Years

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 08: A model walks the runway at the Helmut Lang fashion show during New York Fashion Week – September 2023: The Shows on September 08, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Another seat has opened up in fashion’s game of creative director musical chairs—a phrase coined to describe the frequent and consecutive appointment and departures of artistic leads at industry luxuriates. Indeed, Helmut Lang has announced that Peter Do is stepping down as creative director after less than two years at the helm of the brand.

Representatives for the brand and Do himself confirmed the news on November 13, advising that the Pre-Fall 2025 offering will be his last collection. Do’s final runway show was hosted during the Fall/Winter 2024 season of New York Fashion Week in February earlier this year.

The Vietnam-born wunderkind was tasked with bridging Helmut Lang’s deconstructive minimalism with his signature tailoring and subversive basics, keeping within the label’s vision to modernise. His appointment in March 2023 was well received, with his debut Spring/Summer 2024 collection opening the entire NYFW calendar for that season.

Do immediately set his own codes, tapping collaborator and author Ocean Vuong to pen a poem that was decalled onto the catwalk, referencing Helmut Lang’s penchant for advertising on top of yellow taxis with a new cab print and even boldly safeguarding himself by presenting a graphic shirt that read: “Helmut Lang Isn’t Peter Do’s Fault”.

Peter Do continued designing for his eponymous brand during his tenure. It’s presumed he will further his own brand following his depature. Credit: Instragram/@doxpeter

“I want to express my gratitude to my Helmut Lang team who have been integral in supporting my vision,” Do said in a statement. “It’s been an incredible journey to be tasked to carry on the legacy of Helmut Lang.”

The chairman of Helmut Lang, Kazumi Yanai, praised Do for the vision he brought to the brand. “Peter Do joined Helmut Lang in 2023, bringing a fresh perspective and revitalising the brand for a new generation,” he stated. “He reinforced the brand’s reputation for pushing boundaries while honouring its minimalist roots.”

NEW YORK, USA – FEBRUARY 09: Irina Shayk walks the runway during the Helmut Lang by Peter Do Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2024-2024 fashion show as part of the New York Fashion Week on February 9, 2024 in New York. (Photo by Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Helmut Lang, who founded the brand in 1986, stepped away from his self-titled house in 2005. A series of designers, including Hood By Air’s Shayne Oliver, held the top job over the period till Do’s incumbency. Do created his own brand in 2018 after cutting his teeth under Phoebe Philo and Raf Simons.

He continued to work on both labels while at Helmut Lang, albeit relocating the operations for his own label to Paris. It’s understood that Do will continue to design for his own brand, though it’s not yet confirmed whether he will return to New York to show. A successor is yet to be announced for his position.

Until then, fashion fanatics are continuing to cast their fantasy roster for the open roles. (Or publicly campaigning for them, like Marc Jacobs with Chanel.)