Good style usually walks a tricky line between being for yourself while also appealing to the outside gaze. A new collection by Helmut Lang and conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas has executed the difficult task of encapsulating this constant pull and tug.
Named “It’s All About You/It’s Not About You,” the limited collection is inspired by Thomas’ 2010 lenticular work “It’s All About You.” Across 10 pieces – comprising hoodies, T-shirts, and a dress – the phrases "It's All About You" or "It's Not About You" appear in block letters where a different message is revealed depending on where the viewer is positioned.
These shifting messages are rendered through a unique garment technique – a reference to Helmut Lang's reverse cowboy T-shirt from spring 2004 – which sees printing on sheer fabric and a reverse print on the inside of a garment.
“Helmut Lang developed a technique so that what a person sees changes based on their physical relationship to a person wearing the shirt,” Thomas told WWD. “It’s about calling the viewer to think about how their position affects what they see.”
The limited-edition collection launches today, June 3, on HelmutLang.com. Fifteen percent of the proceeds from this collection will be donated to Incarceration Nations Network, a think tank focused on global prison reform efforts.
