Hussein Chalayan's fashion special effects The Turkish Cypriot designer who never ceased to amaze

In the nineties, on the one hand, designers dedicated to minimalism and essentiality, such as Jil Sander and Helmut Lang, triumphed; on the other hand, an aesthetic began to prevail that led to the triumph of glamour in its maximalist and affluent sense, culminating in the year 2000 with designers such as John Galliano and Dolce & Gabbana. In between these two extremes, however, there are also a number of names that break the rules thanks to an experimental and disruptive approach, characterised above all by the use of surprising special effects. One of the minds that has distinguished himself from the beginning of his career through precisely this kind of creativity is undoubtedly Hussein Chalayan. The Turkish-Cypriot designer already got off to a good start in 1993 when he graduated from Central Saint Martins with his collection 'The Tangent Flows', which consisted of garments that had previously been buried after being sprinkled with iron powder so that they would rust for months before being presented in a fashion show.

Chalayan's experimentation certainly reached its peak in the 2000s. A clear example of this is the 'After Words' collection AW 2000-01, which is marked by a moment that has gone down in history. Precisely to commemorate the tragic events of the Cyprus question and the need to run away and take with them what stands for important memories, pieces of furniture such as tables and small armchairs literally become the clothes worn by the models on the catwalk, thanks to the famous 'special effects'. The automations of garments that transform before the eyes of the spectators by completely retracting or enriching them with parts that were previously hidden become a constant in Chalayan's fashion shows, which thus continue to deal with technological themes and their integration into human life. The experimentalism, however, is toned down and approaches the contemporary in favour of garments that are closer to the idea of wearability, without surprising with some twists, such as dissolvable garments that, once dissolved, reveal the layers underneath. Layers that represent - perfectly - the temporal journey between past and future that has always fascinated creative people.

Hussein Chalayan has paused his own brand for several years. The last collection was presented in 2019, when he became a professor at HTW Berlin, the Berlin University of Applied Sciences, in the fashion department with a focus on sustainability. What remains today, besides his invaluable stylistic and creative legacy, is an Instagram profile that constantly displays some of this work, like a digital exhibition. All this proves that even with crucial milestones in the history of fashion, commercial success is a (often looming) presence that determines the future without making too many qualms.