Brand Profile
Founded by Hussein Chalayan in 1994, the Chalayan brand is celebrated for innovation and the ability to push boundaries through it's seasonal shows and Museum exhibitions. Hussein Chalayan's approach to design concludes in RTW women's and menswear collections that offer alternative yet timeless design that intrigue and excite customers without compromising on experimentation or precision.
Upon graduating from Central Saint Martins in 1993, Chalayan's degree collection was bought by eponymous boutique Browns. Hussein Chalayan was named British designer of the year in 1999 and 2000, and later awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honour's list in 2006. In September 2015, the Chalayan flagship store in Mayfair was opened.
Aside from 8 annual clothing collections, the Chalayan house undertakes numerous projects and consultancies in the arts sector each year, ranging from performance to sculpture and installations. In 2005, Hussein represented Turkey with his film Absent Presence in the Venice Biennale, as well as solo exhibitions at the Design Museum in 2009, Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo and Istanbul Modern in 2010 and Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris in 2011. Other collaborations include a production of Cosi fan Tutte with LA Philharmonic Orchestra & Zaha Hadid in 2014, as well as an dance performance, Gravity Fatigue, in October 2015 with Sadlers Wells. In March 2015, Chalayan gave a TED talk at "Truth or Dare" in Vancouver.
In 2008, Hussein was appointed Creative Director of Puma. Alongside this, Hussein Chalayan is Head Professor of the Fashion Department at University of Applied Arts Vienna, and was appointed as a consultant Designer to heritage brand Vionnet with it's first ready‐to-wear line unveiled in September 2015. In 2011, Rizzoli published the first complete monograph on his work. He has been named as one of the top 100 influential fashion icons by Time Magazine (2012).