Hussein Chalayan

Hussein Chalayan (*1970, Nicosia, Cyprus) is a Turkish Cypriot fashion designer who has lived in Britain since childhood. Since founding his own label in 1993, Chalayan has made a name for himself as a creator of conceptual, committed and poetic garments who is not afraid to cross the boundaries of architecture, design and art. Chalayan, known for his spectacular, choreographed fashion shows, likes to incorporate high-tech elements into his creations. He has also made several art films, such as Anaesthetics (2004), in which various elements of his fashion shows play a part, such as their duration, their white-clad models, and certain accessories and garments, while the whole is staged in a theatrical decor. Divided into 11 scenes, the film exposes the violence hidden in the ceremonies and codes of our everyday behaviour. While it raises many questions about issues such as nutrition, birth, childhood, sexuality, religion, family life, violence and the culture wars, the film revolves around a series of rituals of great visual intensity that are difficult to escape from.