Having been tossed around like a precocious step-child for the last decade, Helmut Lang has landed on Melrose. Attached to Theory in a painfully severe space, the store’s serious demeanor implies more of an industrial experience rather than the search for the perfect LBD.

The exposed brick, steel pipes, unfinished sheet rock—all classically Lang, with the intention of contrasting with the polish of the clothes. Oh right, the clothes. There aren’t a lot, but what are there are men’s and women’s, all in sharp shapes of blacks and grays, with the occasionally ironic splash of blue and green. So, a famous brand name? Check. Interesting space? Check. Well-structured clothes? Check. Still, the contrasts remain: parking is great, but the store itself is awkward to find; there are plenty of power suits and dresses, but I hear accessories don’t appear for another year; the mix (contrast?) of art and consumerism is evident, but Prada does it better. With an attentive staff, a decent selection of intellectual basics, and price tags smaller than the boutique’s neighbors (Oscar De LaRenta, Carolina Herrera) it’s obvious the brand is ready for a badly needed re-launch. But, is SoCal really ready for a 1993-Euro-minimalism moment?--Philip Harris