Week 2 - Hussein Chalayan

Afterwords (2000) show creativity at its best, the design is fun, fresh and very unique, yet it brings about sentimental ideas about the fashion collection. Pale colours such as shades of grey, white and light blue are used to create a neutral, yet sombre mood. The suitcases accompanying the models in grey dresses portray a sense of being stray and homeless. I think it also symbolize the ideas of leaving home and everything behind. The models all have a slick and edgy hairstyle to emphasize the symmetrical style of the collection. This is also done on purpose, to lead the audience’s attention and focus on the clothes, and the messages they are trying to convey.

Hussein Chalayan, Afterwords, 2000

Burka (1996) on the other hand, is very challenging for the audience as it contains nudity. This is somewhat a brave move to display the models nude is to be appreciated for the message it carries. The work is blatantly shocking, considering the issues of the Muslim religion and culture, and the audience is expected to see it from their individual perspective. The Burka symbolize respect, inner beauty and ideal clothing for a woman in the Muslim culture. However, Chalayan’s display of nudity radically challenge this concept.

Hussein Chalayan, Burka, 1996

Both art and fashion is intertwined in a mutual relationship, therefore, Afterwords and Burka both have elements that are appropriate for fashion and art at the same time. I personally think Afterwords leans more towards art rather than fashion. With the use of a variety of materials, it creates a well-structured garment that has both aesthetic and functional elements. Burka show fashion with strong, ideological background, and it leans more to fashion rather than art because it only uses one simple piece of material, following its original design of the Burka.

There is a difference between Chalayan’s personal design work and his commercial works. In Repose (2006) is solely for the use of advertising of Swarovski. By this I mean his designs are used to emphasize the beauty of the product it is advertising and to grab the audience’s attention to the elegant, high-fashion and elite feel of the product. The Level Tunnel (2006) collaboration with Vodka focuses on the human body and their senses, as the design works around the product to exaggerate the joy we would achieve from consuming that particular product. Chalayan’s commercialized works are strictly kept for the purpose of its advertising only, therefore, he does not involve any personal context to it. The meaning of his artwork changes when it is commercialized, as he does not include any personal content into it, however, to say that the art loses its aesthetic elements would be wrong. All his works are still creative and unique.

Hussein Chalayan, still from Absent Presence, 2005 (motion picture)

I think an art movement that might have influenced Chalayan’s approach would be the Genetic art movement. It is based on the relationship and connection between science and art. Chalayan’s work on Absent Presence tells us a story about identity, anthropology, history and genetics. The use of DNA in his film symbolize new beginnings, for example, the new start of fashion. Both science and art is combined to create an interesting narrative and style to Chalayan’s work.

It is very crucial that the artist themselves personally make the art work, because then the artist know their work well from concept stages, through development and until the final design. But we also need to be aware of the complex processes involved behind creating an art work. The artist will always need help from people such as editors or other specialists. Therefore, every person who has contributed their hard work into a project should be credited for the work’s publication.sharks himself. So when and why is it important that the artist personally made the piece?