HUSSEIN CHALAYAN

Ever since the mass commercialisation of the fashion world, it has become increasingly difficult for designers to stay true to their vision and concepts without making huge compromises. To show just one collection is extremely expensive, maintaining control of an eponymous label with little financial backing is even more expensive, yet it is something that the iconic Hussein Chalayan has managed to do with little difficulty. Creative director of his own label since 2008, Chalayan's career spans two decades - showing his first commercial collection 'Cartesia' just after graduating from Central St Martins, the Turkish-born designer immediately established himself as a major player on the London fashion scene. 

'The Tangent Flows'

Setting himself apart from his contemporaries instantly, Chalayan's 1993 graduate collection was entitled 'The Tangent Flows' and featured clothing which he had buried alongside iron filings and left to decompose before digging them up and sending them down the runway. The entire collection was immediately purchased by luxury boutique 'Browns' and featured in the shop window, thus setting the tone for the rest of Chalayan's career. No stranger to commercial success, he was crowned 'British Designer of the Year' consecutively in 1999 and 2000, but what is it that sets Chalayan apart from his contemporaries? Perhaps it is the fact that the concepts and ideas behind his collections are so meticulous - an indication that his work is multi-dimensional, and is designed to be researched and scrutinised as opposed to merely being worn. In this sense, Chalayan's work can be seen as a social commentary of sorts, and a true insight into the life and beliefs of the designer. 

Iron filings - buried with the dresses of 'The Tangent Flows' collection

'The Tangent Flows' - Graduate collection, 1993

For instance, throughout his work there are five key concepts which I will explore in more detail, all of which are relevant to Chalayan's life and upbringing. The first of these concepts, and perhaps the one that has been featured most literally in the designer's work is the concept of flight. This was expressed literally in the A/W 1999 collection 'Echoform', which saw the unveiling of the now-iconic 'Aeroplane' dress. Constructed to mimic the exterior of an aeroplane, the dress had a central compartment which slid down mechanically to represent the unfolding of the wing before take-off - this was the highlight of a collection which also featured dresses with built-in neckrests, a detail which Chalayan later went on to say he designed around the idea of an aeroplane being like a temporary home, designed for comfort. 

A frequent flyer from a young age, Chalayan has spoken of how his childhood was spent flying back and forth between Turkey and the UK, as well as how his earliest aspiration in life was to become a pilot. There are even photos of the designer as an 11-year-old boy with a book entitled 'Aircraft' in the background - considering this interest alongside the designer's fondness for incorporating advanced technology into his collections, it is almost unsurprising that the 'Aeroplane' dress has been shown in two different forms in two different collections. 

A more melancholy reference to the concept was seen in the 1994 collection 'Cartesia', in which the designer showed a range of dresses made from an artificial paper called Tyvek. The 'Airmail' dress was a plain paper dress with a bright red and blue border - the exceptional part was that it came with its own envelope, stamped with the words 'Par Avion'. The dress was influenced by Chalayan's childhood in the sense that it was his way of remembering the days that he would send letters and cards by airmail to his mother in Turkey and was soon picked up by Icelandic singer Bjork who modelled the jacket on the cover of her 'Post' album, further propelling Chalayan and his avant-garde designs into the mainstream.

Audrey Marnay in the original 'Aeroplane' dress - A/W 1999

Bjork in Chalayan's 'Airmail' dress on the 'Post' album cover

BALENCIAGA RESORT 2014

Many (myself included) were extremely dubious when it was announced earlier this year that Alexander Wang had been chosen as Balenciaga's new creative director. Wang's predecessor, Nicholas Ghesquière, had previously turned the brand into a true fashion powerhouse, gaining respect for his futuristic aesthetic and experimental silhouettes, making the task of replacing such an influential director would be tricky. Not to mention that Wang's own eponymous collection is based heavily on luxe sportswear - often choosing to work mainly with leather and jersey, it was widely questioned as to whether or not Wang was versatile enough to take the helm of such a renowned fashion house. After impressing the fashion crowd with his Fall 2013 collection, this Resort 2014 collection has only proven further that he is entirely capable of the task at hand. 

Balenciaga Fall 2013

Once again, despite the brilliance of the collection it was evident that Wang was tentative about dividing opinion, choosing to stay away from colour entirely and focus on a colour palette comprising of black, white and several muted shades of grey. The lack of colour gave an elegant simplicity to the collection, allowing the focus to be the unusual, sculptural silhouettes. There were several examples of Wang choosing to play with proportions - for example, bandeau crop tops were teamed with cropped bolero jackets and lean black trousers, Wang's playful take on the tuxedo for summer.