Helmut Lang 1998 Painter Denim

Helmut Lang introduced the painter jean for his Spring Summer 1998 menswear, a five-pocket cut that took the rigid Levi's 501 as its starting point. Each pair was washed and sanded before strokes of off-white, black and grey paint were applied by hand, borrowing the traces of a decorator's workwear. Alexander McQueen was photographed wearing his own pair in 1999.