Fashion File - Hussein Chalayan

Hussein Chalayan - Spring/Summer 2006

Hussein Chalayan is truly an artist who paints with an individual stroke. Though always conceptual, he created a more accessible collection this season that successfully fused art gallery with ready-to-wear.

Hussein Chalayan - Spring/Summer 2004

For years Hussein Chalayan has been fashion's preeminent egghead designer, known for high concept shows and highbrow collections that walk the fine line between intelligent and pretentious. Lately though, a more commercial side of Hussein has started showing through in his clothing. For Spring/Summer 2004, that trend continues.

Hussein Chalayan - Fall/Winter 2003

Hussein Chalayan is, without a doubt, the king of the conceptual fashion show. His ‘events’, as he calls them, are always original, often highly technical and so carefully orchestrated, they could pass for performance art. Hussein Chalayan’s show for fall 2003 was, as usual, a complex and conceptual affair; but his collection, from the styling to the clothing, seemed easier to comprehend than usual.

Hussein Chalayan - Spring/Summer 2003

Hussein Chalayan is not afraid to attach weighty ideas to a fashion show. He called his latest "Manifest Destiny " and infused the collection with a subtle anti-war subtext. But for a designer who in the past has struggled with optimism, the clothes were beautiful in a visceral sort of way. They were also literally body-conscious in that you could see into the body through cuts and slits which seemed to suggest both strength and vulnerability.

Hussein Chalayan - Fall/Winter 2002

Hussein Chalayan is famous for complex offerings that often befuddle the audience and this season was no exception. Exploring the theme of metamorphosing from costume to clothes, Hussein Chalayan deconstructed an original Turkish-Cypriot costume as the prelude to his collection. Over the course of the show a virtual thesis unraveled on the catwalk. The structure of the clothes mirrored the twists and turns in the designer's thought process. Fabrics in somber, earthy colors were wrapped, folded and tucked in unconventional ways.

Hussein Chalayan - Spring/Summer 2002

After liquidating his company just prior to the Fall 2001 season, Hussein Chalayan is back in fighting form this spring with a delicate exploration of deconstruction inspired by themes of superstition and insecurity. His recurring fascination with deconstruction in itís most literal application returned this season for a finale of ravaged beauty in a poignant nod to recent history and new beginnings.