Helmut Lang (b. 1956)
M69 flak jacket and Vest
AW 1999
With a new millenium on the horizon, Helmut Lang’s AW1999 collection “Seance De Travail” focused on the question of how to dress for a new century. Lang’s answer was incorporating armor-like elements with leather padding; drawing inspiration from NASA space suits.
This M69 flak jacket is Lang’s take on a military flak jacket, which was designed to provide protection from high explosive weaponry. Predating the existence of functional bulletproof vests, flak jackets were utilized throughout the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
Featured here is a WWII flak vest that was a reference to Lang’s design alongside his iteration of the jacket.
