Hussein Chalayan

Without a doubt, Hussein Chalayan is a true pioneer and unquestionable genius within the fashion world. His current exhibition at Les Arts Décoratifs is enough to convert anyone to be a follower of his work- even my dad, who's idea of ground breaking fashion is a non-iron M&S shirt is still singing Chalayans praises to his friends at the pub! I have visited the exhibition several times (that's the great thing about all museums in Paris being free to under 25 year olds) and each time I learn a little more and notice something I had not realized before. ENSCI Textile Department teachers are real fans of 'smart fabrics' and I have seen the third years experimenting with weaving all sorts of electrical contraptions.



In my opinion, the interesting thing about Chalayans' way of working is his refusal to stick within boundaries. Not only can he be considered on the frontier of fashion, but his crossing into the world of architecture, sculpture, video, special effects, interior and product design is unparalleled. His work is highly inventive, exciting and unpredictable. His creative process is deep and thorough, exploring the fields of anthropology, philosophy, architecture and science and his intellectual findings are reflected in the complexity of his work. Not only to many of his works reference his own Cypriot personal history, his travels and upheavels but he also draws great influence from society's problems, wars and conflicts. In the exhibition there are several video recordings of his fashion shows which truly appear to be multi-sensory, out of this world experiences.

The exhibition opens with a few garments from his Central St. Martin's graduate collection, Burried Dresses. The oxidized garments have a complex narrative thought process behind them which has involved research on the works of Issac Newton, René Descartes as well as Carl Gustav Jung.

I believe the collection received mixed reviews and definitely got Chalayan noticed as a designer. There is something eerie and silently beautiful about the colour and texture of the dresses. There subtlety and organic nature are a complete contrast to many of the other high tech garments within the exhibition which perhaps helps to reflect his versatility as a designer.



Another collection inspired by natural process was his Before Minus Now Collection Spring/Summer 2000. For this particular dress, Chalayan sought inspiration from the formation of mountains through natural erosion. To embody and recreate this action, he shaved a bale of shapeless pink tulle to give it the contour of a dress. I believe that as well as looking to inventive, technologically advanced process, it is important not to disregard the inspiration provided by simple natural processes.

Many of Chalayan's collections also explored the theme of identity. They reminded me immediately of The Fashion, Aware Identity exhibition at the Royal Academy which explored the various role of cloth. Within his Between Spring/Summer 1998 collection, Chalayan was particularly interested in the notions surrounding identity and the concealment of one's face.

Chalayan was keen to demonstrate that through "the religious code you are depersonified". Although not overtly confrontational, it is an extremely controversial topic which I believe shows Chalayan is not shy in voicing his opinion.

Afterworlds, his collection of Autumn/Winter 2000 is perhaps one of his best known. Inspired by ethnic cleansing and the plight of the refugee Chalayan explores the notion of possessions when people are confronted by war. The fashion show was very thought provoking. A furnished living room is gradually dissected and its objects removed by models in simple clothes. Even chair covers are removed and worn. The final model stepped inside the wooden coffee table, pulled it up and it transformed into a voluminous skirt. The room is left desolate, white, empty and completely lifeless.




I particularly admire Chalayan's blurring of the boundary between art, fashion and design. Although he understands that in fashion it is ultimately the clothes that display the final result, he refuses to eschew the important role of an highly researched and intellectual thinking process and narrative behind each of his projects. This, I believe gives his work greater credibility and is what ultimately makes him so different from many other fashion designers. The themes behind his collections are exceptionally varied- Japan's foreign relations policy of isolation, the urban London landscape, the violence of food preparation, DNA, national costumes, migration and exile just to name a few. I am left feeling inspired by his indepth observation and comment on the world and equally in awe of his inventive and original approach to fashion.