Hussein Chalayan

Hussein Chalayan’s designs are challenging and inspiring, sprung from a mind which is at once dedicated to creative articulation and intellectual rigour.  After graduating from college in Turkey, the Turkish Cypriot designer moved with his family to England in 1978, becoming a British citizen and studying fashion and clothing at Warwickshire College of Art, before joining the fashion design course at Central Saint Martins.

Chalayan’s 1993 graduate collection, entitled ‘The Tangent Flows’ consisted of clothing he had buried in his back garden and dug up again for the show.  An instant sensation, the whole collection was snapped up by Browns and displayed in the directional luxury designer store.

Hussain Chalayan’s experimental creations have featured dresses made from bubbles, a skirt which transforms into a coffee table, dresses which change shape electronically and clothes which deliver a laser light show.  The designers’ collections are often a mixture of fashion, sculpture and performance art, a trait which has been celebrated by a plethora of exhibitions, with work displayed at the London’s Design Museum, The Tate Modern, The Contemporary Art Museum in Tokyo, the Musée de la Mode in Paris, New York’s F.I.T., and at the 51st International Venice Biennale, among others.

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Throughout decades of artistic endeavour, there has been one stand out omission from Hussein Chalayan’s repertoire; a signature fragrance.  ‘Airborne’, a limited edition unisex fragrance, provides that missing link and allows his devotees to ‘travel’ with him on his initial journey from Turkey to London. Bergamot, Neroli from Tunisia and lemon from Syracuse represent the lush landscape of Chalayan’s past, whereas the base notes of musk, incense and cedar wood capture inner city London. This complex and intriguing mix of scents and cultures is reflected in the beautiful white on white packaging, illustrated with scenes from the landscapes and architecture of both Turkey and London.