Hussein Chalayan pushes clothing into sculpture, furniture, performance, art and beyond. Since his graduate collection at Central Saint Martins in 1993 where clothes were buried in the ground for several weeks, he has confirmed his reputation as one of the most original designers working anywhere in the world today. Hussein is feted for his spectacular shows in which anything could happen, from coffee tables turning into dresses to the use of confessional boxes and trampolines as catwalk props. At the same time, the designer’s attention to technical detail, structure and stitching is exceptional. His collections have often focused on cultural displacement, something which Hussein himself has experienced; his S/S 2003 collection Kinship Journey, for example, was inspired by Viking, Byzantine, Georgian and Armenian cultures following a DNA test taken by the designer. Born in Nicosia to Turkish-Cypriot parents, at the age of 12 Hussein left Cyprus to attend school in England. Aside from his eponymous label, Hussein has during his career worked for cashmere brand TSE and was appointed creative director of Asprey in 2001, departing the company in 2004. His creative touchstones are science and new technology. He is twice-crowned British Designer of the Year, having picked up the prize in 1999 and 2000. 2004 saw Hussein open his first store in Tokyo; to complement his existing womenswear and menswear collections; in 2005 he also launched a younger line, ‘Chalayan’. He was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2006 for his services to the fashion industry, and the prestigious Design Star Honoree by The Fashion Group International in 2007. In 2008 Hussein was appointed Creative Director of German sportswear label Puma, where his passion for technology and forward-thinking design continues to breathe new life into the 80-year-old brand. Hussein’s retrospective at the Design Museum in London (2009) celebrated 15 years of ground-breaking experimental design and explored the inspirations and themes that continue to influence the designer, in particular issues of cultural identity, displacement and migration. Hussein opens two exhibitions this fall at Spring Projects and Lisson Gallery.
