Hussein Chalayan

If mid-1990s British fashion conjurs up images of vicious or tricksy tailoring and sexually-charged power-dressing, Chalayan represents its more gentle, cerebral side. The Turkish-Cypriot-born designer's clothing is highly modern, delicately feminine and about as close to pure as it is possible for fashion to be. --The Independent, London While most fashion designers seem to focus mainly on glamour, Hussein Chalayan's work is conceptual, often political in nature, and inspired by subjects like science--DNA strands, archaeology, the impending extinction of wildlife--sculpture, technology, and architectural theories. (In one of his most famous collections, chairs and tables were transformed into garments on the runway.) Through his compelling originality, unusual approach to design, beautifully tailored clothing, and innovative use of fabrics, Chalayan has garnered a loyal following of celebrity fans like Madonna, Sofia Coppola, and Björk. Hussein Chalayan celebrates the designer's 10th anniversary, and is the first in-depth monograph of his work. If mid-1990s British fashion conjures up images of vicious or tricksy tailoring and sexually charged power-dressing, Chalayan represents its more gentle, cerebral side. The Turkish-Cypriot-born designer's clothing is highly modern, delicately feminine and about as close to pure as it is possible for fashion to be. --"Britain's Top Fashionistas," The Independent, London, September 2004. "I wanted it to be like a document . . . for each garment to have a life of its own. I felt that the way to do that was to create a mini history with the garments. It was like an archaeological dig in a way, but of our own repertoire as well as references that are more obviously historical, like the Edwardian top of a 1960s dress. After layering it all up, we then cut it away which, in itself, I think, created some kind of life." --Hussein Chalayan on his Fall, 2003 line Paperback, 8.5 x 11 in./240 pgs / 150 color.