Peter Do is parting ways with Helmut Lang after less than two years as the label’s creative director. The news was confirmed both by the designer and the brand on November 13. Do’s pre-fall 2025 offering will be his last collection for the brand, which has yet to announce a successor.
“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, echoed Do’s sentiments, writing “I want to express my deepest gratitude to Peter for his exceptional creative leadership and vision and wish him continued success in his future endeavors.”
Do, who founded his refined namesake label in 2018, joined Helmut Lang in May 2023. He presented his debut Helmut Lang collection at New York Fashion Week in September 2023 as part of the spring 2024 season. The designer’s sophomore show this past February would be his final physical presentation for Helmut Lang as the brand opted to skip the recent spring 2025 season which took place in September.
After stints under Phoebe Philo at Céline and Derek Lam, Do’s namesake brand quickly garnered a cult following among New York’s downtown scene for its strong tailoring and deconstructed outerwear. The Vietnam-born designer relocated his own label’s operations to Paris in September 2023 where he has since presented two runway collections. In October 2023, Do collaborated with the American retailer Banana Republic on a limited-edition capsule collection—only furthering his status as one of the most exciting young forces in New York fashion.
Despite his own laurels, Do’s tenure at the helm of Helmut Lang received mixed reviews. The designer leaned heavily into the brand’s New York roots and staggering archives, but ultimately struggled to connect with its cult fanbase. “I really want to create a new system of dressing so that anyone can go to the store and be able to grab a nice suit that doesn’t break the bank, or a pair of jeans that can last you,” Do said ahead of his debut Helmut Lang show.
Helmut Lang, founded in 1986, has been helmed by several creative directors and in-house teams since its Austrian founder parted ways with the house in 2005. Husband and wife duo Michael and Nicole Colovos revived the brand in 2007 and stayed on until 2014. Hood By Air’s Shayne Oliver was enlisted to design Helmut Lang’s spring 2018 collection before Mark Thomas and Thomas Cawson took over until the spring 2020 season. It remains to be seen if Do will relocate his own brand back to New York following his exit at Helmut Lang.