Hussein Chalayan

 

Hussein Chalayan has been crowned 'British Designer of the Year' in both 1999 and 2000

Hussein Chalayan was born in Nicosia, Cyprus in 1970. In 1978 he moved with his family to the UK where he became a british citizen. 1993 he graduated from Central Saint Martins School in London. His final collection was called “The Tangent Flows” and was as a rebellion against the contemporary man, whom he believed to be miserable. This feeling Chalayan believes is what makes him want to wear rubbish. He translated the feeling by buried his clothes in his back yard and dug them up again.

Dress from his final collection

“The Tangent Flows”



Detail “The Tangent Flows”



Hussein Chalayan is not only a fashion and a textiles designer. He uses political themes and current events as well as moral matters and human interests as inspiration for his collection. 

 The dialogue that Chalayan´s Burka from 1996 brings up feels as modern today as it did back then. It is an fascinating work of art and it really brings up the discussion about the patriarchal oppression. No matter what your personal oppinion is about the burka, it is a provoking piece about womens rights and so much more. 

Chalayan´s jacket for Björks cover on the album Post from 1995.

With his work he makes us see new ways to dress the body, and it is always a fine line between fashion and art.

 

Chalayan is known as the “philosopher” in this video he is searches for the interaction between fashion and identity.

In February 2008, Hussein Chalayan was appointed as the creative director for German sportswear label Puma. 

In his designs for Puma he uses beautiful cuts and interesting prints to make stunning pieces.