Chalayan’s 1998 collection explored Islamic women’s place in society, a play on the androgyny of suits, and perhaps an investigation of western clothing like Yves Saint Laurent’s fundamental Le Smoking tuxedo. Chalayan presented twelve models, the first nude with the exception of a Turkish yashmaq, and the others dressed in Iranian chadors of varying lengths. Raised in Turkish Cyprus and living between the opposing ethnic and religious cultures of Turkish Muslims and Greek Christians, Chalyan’s personal heritage and political outlook draw him to the subject of individual and group identities. In an interview for the New York Times Chalayan said of the collection, “It was an idea I felt quite passionate about. It was about defining your space structurally and graphically. It wasn’t really supposed to be offensive. It was supposed to illustrate a particular kind of position. This was about the cultural loss of self.”
     Until October the Istanbul Modern will show a comprehensive exhibition of Hussein Chalayan’s work. The exhibition brings together his fashion collections, installations, and films produced between 1994 and 2010.