Peter Do Takes His Final Bow at Helmut Lang

The Vietnamese-American designer exits Helmut Lang after an ambitious, if turbulent, attempt to revive a minimalist icon.

After less than two years at the creative helm, Peter Do is stepping down from Helmut Lang, with Pre-Fall 2025 marking his final collection. The announcement, confirmed on November 13 2024, closes a chapter defined by quiet ambition and the perennial tension between legacy and reinvention.

Do joined Helmut Lang in May 2023, tasked with breathing new life into the Fast Retailing-owned brand. His debut at New York Fashion Week Spring 2024 reintroduced Lang’s sharp minimalism through disciplined tailoring and utilitarian polish. Reviews were mixed, but Do’s clarity of vision was evident: he sought to translate a 1990s cult aesthetic into something resonant for a new generation.

Across four collections, Do worked to modernize Helmut Lang’s codes: blending structure and softness, technicality and emotion. By his Resort 2025 line, critics noted a growing confidence: relaxed silhouettes, reimagined tanks, and adjustable jersey pieces that softened Lang’s once-rigid cool.

In his farewell statement, Do expressed:

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

Yanai, in turn, praised Do’s “exceptional creative leadership and vision.”

Born in Vietnam and raised in the United States, Do trained under Phoebe Philo at Céline and later worked for Derek Lam before launching his own label in 2018. His namesake brand, built on sharp tailoring, architectural construction, and gender-fluid restraint, quickly established him as one of the most compelling voices of New York’s new guard.

During his time at Helmut Lang, Do balanced dual responsibilities: steering a legacy house while expanding his own brand, now based in Paris. Alongside his collaboration with Banana Republic in 2023, Do’s global profile only continued to grow.

As Helmut Lang searches once again for direction, Do’s departure underscores a familiar truth: reviving a cult brand requires not just reverence, but reinvention. And for Peter Do, this exit feels less like an ending - and more like a return to his own language of modern minimalism.