For the designers behind Helmut Lang, there was no greater misfortune than having a time slot after Rag & Bone’s presentation. If that had not been the case, the minimal white suits, crop-tops and pink-slip dresses would have seemed a little fresher. Instead, the collection read as a retread of the past few seasons’ obsessions: athletic gear, cutouts, oversized styling, and 90s redux.

The fact that fashion is currently obsessed with the 90s, a decade in part defined by Helmut Lang himself, presents a dilemma for the designers. But instead of conjuring Lang’s famous austerity or finding inspiration in his originality, Nicole and Michael Colovos seem eager to capture the trends of the moment. While there were plenty of nice pieces, the show underscored many of the fashion world’s complaints about New York. Contemporary clothes destined for Shopbop are well and good, but where is the innovation?