15 Facts About Hussein Chalayan

Hussein Chalayan has won the British Designer of the Year twice, and he was awarded the MBE in 2006.

Hussein Chalayan was born to Turkish Cypriot parents in Nicosia in 1970 and graduated from the Turk Maarif Koleji secondary school in his hometown.

In 1995 Hussein Chalayan clinched a London fashion design award organised by the company "Absolut".

Hussein Chalayan mimicked aeroplane interiors by attaching padded headrests to dresses This project was based on exploring the relationship of the body's inherent mobility and aimed to evoke thoughts on speed, spatiality and well-being.

Hussein Chalayan was crowned 'British Designer of the Year' in 1999 and 2000, and was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire on 17 June 2006.

In July 2002 Hussein Chalayan launched his first menswear collection, which was manufactured by Italian company Gibo.

In 2007 Hussein Chalayan donated a showpiece to the Fashion is Art exhibition in aid of radio station Capital 95.8's Help a London Child charity, which was sold at an exclusive auction in London.

In early 2008 Hussein Chalayan designed a series of laser LED dresses in collaboration with luxury label Swarovski, showcased in Tokyo.

On 28 February 2008, Hussein Chalayan was appointed as the creative director for German sportswear label Puma.

In 2010 Hussein Chalayan opened his I Am Sad Leyla multimedia installation at Lisson Gallery in London.

In 2014 Hussein Chalayan was hired to design Vionnet's demi-couture line.

Hussein Chalayan then joined the ready-to-wear creative team for Vionnet in 2015.

Hussein Chalayan joined the University of Applied Arts Vienna as the Head of Fashion of the Institute of Design in 2015.

In 2019 Hussein Chalayan became professor at the University of Applied Sciences Berlin at fashion department with specialization on sustainability.

Apart from his fashion collections Hussein Chalayan has been renowned for his short movies such as Absent Presence which represented Turkey at the 51st Venice Biennale in 2005 and Ambimorphous screened at Mode Natie in Antwerp in 2002.