Hussein Chalayan
Founder of the Chalayan label and conceptual fashion designer
Hussein Chalayan is a British Cypriot designer known for conceptual collections that blend fashion with architecture, art and technology. Twice named British Designer of the Year, he founded his label in 1994 and has also worked as a creative director for Puma and as a professor of fashion.
| Role | Founder of Chalayan |
|---|---|
| Born | 1970, Nicosia, Cyprus |
| Education | Central Saint Martins (1993) |
| Label founded | 1994 |
| Awards | British Designer of the Year 1999 and 2000 |
| Teaching | Professor at HTW Berlin since 2019 |
Who is Hussein Chalayan?
Hussein Chalayan was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, in 1970 and graduated from Central Saint Martins in London in 1993. He is regarded as one of fashion's most intellectual designers, using garments to explore ideas about identity, migration, the body and technology. Encyclopaedia Britannica describes him as a designer who infuses intellectual concepts and artistic elements into his work.
Career
Chalayan launched his ready to wear line in 1994, and the brand has traded simply as Chalayan since 2012. He won the Absolut Fashion Award in 1995 and was named British Designer of the Year in 1999 and 2000. He was appointed MBE in 2006.
His autumn/winter 2000 show became one of the most cited moments in fashion history: furniture on stage, including a coffee table, was transformed into garments worn by the models. In February 2008 Puma appointed him creative director and took a majority stake in his label; he later bought his brand back from Puma in 2010. From 2014 he designed a demi couture line for Vionnet and later contributed to its ready to wear.
Hussein Chalayan and technology
Technology has been a recurring medium in Chalayan's work. In 2000 he presented the Remote Control dress, a garment that responded to wireless signals. In 2008 he created dresses embedded with lasers and LEDs in collaboration with Swarovski. Pieces such as these, which move, light up or change shape, made him a reference for later designers working with wearable technology and interactive garments.
Educator
Alongside his own practice, Chalayan has taught extensively. In 2015 he became head of fashion at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, and in 2019 he became a professor at HTW Berlin with a focus on sustainability.
- Founder of the Chalayan label since 1994
- Creative director at Puma from 2008
- Professor at HTW Berlin since 2019
Why it matters
Chalayan demonstrated that a runway show can be a form of research and that clothing can be a platform for experimentation with materials, mechanics and electronics. For an industry now exploring smart textiles, digital interaction and new production methods, his body of work is an early and influential reference point, and his move into teaching has carried those ideas to a new generation of designers.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Hussein Chalayan?
Hussein Chalayan is a British Cypriot fashion designer born in 1970 who founded his label in 1994. He is known for conceptual collections that combine fashion with art, architecture and technology.
What is Hussein Chalayan's connection to technology?
He has used technology as a design medium, from the wirelessly controlled Remote Control dress of 2000 to laser and LED dresses made with Swarovski in 2008. His shape changing and illuminated garments are frequently cited in discussions of wearable technology.