My life as an outsider | Hussein Chalayan

Summary

The speaker, a designer in the fashion industry, shares their unique journey as an 'outsider' blending art and commerce. They discuss their diverse projects, from biannual Paris shows to installations in galleries and museums. The script touches on themes of separation, displacement, and the evolution of life's pace, exploring creative expressions in fashion, film, and technology. Highlighting dualities and the immigrant experience within various disciplines, the speaker showcases how embracing the outsider perspective can lead to innovative and inspiring outcomes.

Takeaways

• 👗 The speaker is a designer in the fashion industry who also embodies the art world, creating a unique fusion of disciplines and cultures in their work.
• 🎨 They have the freedom to be an 'immigrant' within various disciplines, which allows them to embrace dualities in life and work.
• 🏠 A childhood picture at age 11 signifies the roots of their 'outsider' status, showing early interests in technology, design, and the world of women.
• 📝 The AML clothing series represents a creative response to the feeling of separation, allowing a dress to be a token of presence or absence.
• 👗 The idea of 'future archaeology' is explored through a dress covered in iron filings and buried, later dug up to show its acquired life and value.
• 🛋️ The concept of displacement and the need to move quickly in times of war led to the transformation of furniture for efficient transportation.
• 🎥 A film meditates on the themes of moving, isolation, and the speed of life, from body movement to consumption and economy.
• 👠 The 'Swift shoe' project with Puma is an example of how a single thought can manifest in different forms: gallery, fashion show, and commercial product.
• 🕊️ The speaker's upbringing by women influences their fashion philosophy, aiming to empower women and avoid objectification.
• 🎵 Music is a significant source of inspiration, with its profound impact surpassing that of visual arts.
• 🤖 Technological fascination from childhood led to the creation of 'bionic dresses' that move on their own, reflecting on the impact of the environment and societal changes on body imagery.

Q & A

What is the speaker's professional background and how does it relate to their identity as an outsider?

The speaker works in the fashion industry as a designer, organizing biannual shows in Paris and managing their own temporary spaces. Despite being commercially successful, they also engage in artistic activities such as filmmaking and installations, which positions them as an outsider within the fashion industry, allowing them to fuse different disciplines and cultures.

How did the speaker's childhood in Cyprus influence their work?

The speaker's childhood in Cyprus, particularly their interest in technology, design, and the world of women, as seen in their room at age 11, laid the foundation for their unique approach to design and art, which includes embracing dualities and fusing unlikely worlds.

What is the significance of the AML clothing series mentioned in the script?

The AML clothing series is a conceptual piece where dresses can be written on, sprayed with perfume, worn, washed, and even sent to loved ones. It represents a token of absence or presence, allowing the dress to carry personal messages and scents.

How did the speaker's experience of separation during childhood influence their work?

The speaker's experience of separation from their mother at a young age, when they were sent to a boarding school in England, influenced their work by inspiring the creation of the AML clothing series, which serves as a tangible way to express and deal with the feeling of separation.

What is the concept behind the dress covered in iron filings and buried in the ground?

The dress covered in iron filings and buried in the ground is an exploration of how a garment can acquire its own life and become a piece of 'future archaeology.' It represents the idea that an object with value today could be part of an archaeological archive in the future.

Can you explain the project 'Fore, name, M, you, so' and its relation to war and displacement?

The project 'Fore, name, M, you, so' is a reflection on the need to move quickly during times of war and the displacement it causes. It involves transforming furniture into forms that can be easily carried away, symbolizing the urgency and necessity of preserving one's possessions during conflict.

What is the theme of the film that starts in London and ends in the Bossus?

The film is a meditation on the theme of movement and isolation, exploring the journey from London to Istanbul and ending in the Bossus, which divides Asia and Europe. It highlights the emotional and psychological impact of displacement and constant movement.

How does the speaker's work reflect the impact of speed on modern life?

The speaker's work, particularly the project starting with a crystallized moment of a crash, reflects on the impact of speed on modern life, including the speed of the body, consumption, and the economy. It examines the consequences and inertia created by the rapid pace of contemporary society.

What is the concept behind the 'Swift shoe' and how does it relate to the theme of speed?

The 'Swift shoe' is a commercial product developed in collaboration with Puma, embodying the theme of speed. It is a tangible expression of the idea that one thought can manifest in various forms, from a gallery environment to a fashion show and as an accessible, usable product.

How does the speaker's upbringing by women influence their fashion designs?

The speaker's upbringing by women has led them to focus on empowering women through their fashion designs. They aim to project a self-confident woman who is not an object and does not need to hide behind clothes, reflecting a strong and independent feminine image.

What is the significance of the 'Peeping lady' in the speaker's work?

The 'Peeping lady' represents a figure who, although hiding behind clothes, is merged with the folds in the garments, symbolizing the complex relationship between women, clothing, and self-expression. It challenges the traditional notion of women hiding behind their attire and instead shows a powerful and integrated presence.

How does the speaker's fascination with technology since childhood influence their current projects?

The speaker's childhood fascination with technology, sparked by the Bionic Man, has led them to create innovative projects such as the 'bionic dresses' that can move on their own. This reflects their ongoing interest in exploring the apparent impossibilities of technology and its impact on the body's image.

What does the speaker mean by being an 'immigrant within different disciplines'?

Being an 'immigrant within different disciplines' means that the speaker has the freedom to explore and integrate various fields, such as fashion, art, and technology. This allows them to discover new worlds, create unique connections, and potentially develop new disciplines altogether.

Outlines

00:00

👗 Embracing Dualities: A Fashion Outsider's Journey

The speaker, a designer in the fashion industry, discusses their unique position as an 'outsider' due to their involvement in both commercial fashion and the art world. They describe their biannual shows in Paris and their passion for fusing different worlds and cultures in their work. The speaker's childhood in Cyprus is highlighted as the root of their 'outsider' status, with early interests in technology, design, and fashion evident from a young age. The AML clothing series is introduced as an innovative project allowing the dress to be a medium for personal expression and communication, symbolizing the concept of presence or absence.

05:14

🌍 Displacement and Isolation: Reflections on Movement and Speed

The narrative shifts to themes of displacement and isolation, with the speaker's personal journey from London to Istanbul and the Bosphorus serving as a metaphor for the broader human experience of movement and change. The speaker explores the rapid pace of modern life, from the speed of the body to the economy, and its impact on society. A project inspired by the aftermath of a crash is described, illustrating the speaker's ability to translate a single idea into multiple forms of expression, from gallery installations to fashion shows and commercial products.

10:15

🎼 Music and Technology: Fusion of Cultures and Innovations

Music is highlighted as a profound source of inspiration for the speaker, with a particular focus on Turkish classical music that represents cultural pollination. The speaker's childhood fascination with the Bionic Man and technology is recounted, leading to a project involving 'bionic dresses' that move autonomously. The project brings together experts from various disciplines to create dresses that morph mechanically, symbolizing changes in eras and reflecting on how the environment and societal movements have shaped body imagery.

15:28

🌟 The Privilege of Being an Immigrant in Disciplines

In the final paragraph, the speaker reflects on the benefits of being an 'immigrant' within different disciplines, allowing for the discovery of new worlds and ideas. The speaker emphasizes the importance of seeing outside the status quo and the potential for alien worlds to coexist and inspire one another, possibly leading to the development of new disciplines. The talk concludes with a message of gratitude for the opportunities and insights gained through this interdisciplinary approach.

Keywords

💡Fashion Industry

The fashion industry refers to the global production and distribution of clothing and accessories. In the video, the speaker works within this industry as a designer, participating in biannual shows in Paris and creating unique spaces for their work. The fashion industry is central to the speaker's identity and serves as a platform for their creative expression, merging it with elements of the art world.

💡Misfit

A misfit is someone who does not conform to a particular environment or group. In the context of the video, the speaker describes themselves as a misfit within the fashion industry due to their dual involvement in both commercial business and the art world. This misfit status allows them to explore and fuse different disciplines, cultures, and ideas in their work.

💡Dualities

Dualities refer to the concept of two opposing or contrasting elements. The speaker embraces dualities in their life and work, such as the balance between commercial fashion and artistic expression. This concept is exemplified in the video through the speaker's projects, which often blend seemingly disparate ideas or materials.

💡Immigrant

In the video, the term 'immigrant' is used metaphorically to describe the speaker's ability to move freely between different disciplines and cultures. This metaphorical immigration allows the speaker to bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to their work, transcending traditional boundaries within the fashion and art worlds.

💡Separation

Separation is a theme in the video that stems from the speaker's personal experience of being sent to a boarding school at a young age, which created a physical and emotional distance from their mother. This theme is explored in the AML clothing series, where the speaker creates a dress that can be personalized and sent to loved ones, symbolizing a tangible connection despite physical separation.

💡Future Archaeology

Future archaeology is a concept that involves creating or imagining artifacts that might be discovered in the future. In the video, the speaker discusses burying a dress covered in iron filings, which after being unearthed, has transformed and could be seen as a piece of future archaeology. This concept reflects on the longevity and evolution of fashion items beyond their initial use.

💡Displacement

Displacement in the video refers to the forced movement of people from their homes, often due to war or conflict. The speaker's exploration of displacement is influenced by historical events in Cyprus and is manifested in their work through pieces that consider the idea of carrying possessions efficiently during times of war.

💡Speed

Speed is a recurring theme in the video, representing the rapid pace of modern life, from the quickening speed of our physical movements to the swiftness of consumption and economic cycles. The speaker's project involving a crystallized moment of a crash due to speed is an example of how they explore the consequences and implications of living in an accelerated world.

💡Empowerment

Empowerment in the context of the video is about giving women the confidence and freedom to express themselves without being objectified. The speaker, having been raised by women, emphasizes the importance of creating fashion that empowers women to be self-assured and not reliant on clothing for validation or concealment.

💡Multidisciplinary

Multidisciplinary refers to the involvement of multiple disciplines or fields in a single project or endeavor. The speaker's work is characterized by a multidisciplinary approach, collaborating with professionals from various fields such as mechanical engineering, programming, and the arts to create innovative and thought-provoking pieces.

💡Bionic Dresses

Bionic dresses, as mentioned in the video, are a concept where dresses are designed to move or function on their own, incorporating elements of technology and mechanics. This idea represents the fusion of fashion with technology and the exploration of how the environment and societal changes can influence the perception and functionality of clothing.

Highlights

The speaker works as a designer in the fashion industry, also embodying the art world with films and installations.

The freedom to be an immigrant within various disciplines, fusing unlikely worlds and cultures.

Childhood roots of being an outsider, with an early interest in technology and design.

The AML clothing series, a dress that can be written on, sprayed with perfume, and washed, symbolizing communication and presence.

A dress covered in iron filings buried in the ground, becoming a piece of 'future archaeology'.

The impact of the 60s atrocities in Cyprus on the speaker's family and the concept of carrying possessions efficiently.

Transformation of furniture for quick transportation during times of war, leading to the 'M, you, so' piece.

A film meditation on displacement and isolation, tracing a journey from London to Istanbul and the Bosphorus.

The exploration of speed in modern life, from body movement to consumption and economy.

A gallery environment and fashion show depicting a crystallized moment of a crash due to speed.

The Swift shoe, a commercial product developed with Puma, showcasing the idea of speed.

The project examining the replacement of religious ideals with an obsession with lifestyle in contemporary society.

Empowerment of women in fashion, projecting a self-confident woman who is not an object.

The Peeping Lady, a figure merged with the folds in garments, symbolizing the empowerment and visibility of women.

Music as a profound source of inspiration, with a focus on Turkish classical music and its cultural pollination.

The fascination with the Bionic Man from childhood, leading to an interest in technology and its apparent impossibilities.

Development of bionic dresses that move themselves, influenced by environmental and societal changes.

Collaboration with multidisciplinary teams to create dresses that morph mechanically, marking an era in each dress.

Being an immigrant within different disciplines as a privilege, allowing for the discovery of new worlds and inspirations.

Transcripts

good afternoon everybody um today I will

share with you my journey of an

outsider I work in the fashion industry

and I pretty much pursue all the

activities of a

designer

we do biannual shows in Paris

we have our own temporary

spaces I spend a lot of time in

fittings however I'm a bit of a misfit

in the fashion industry because while

whilst I run a commercial business I

also embody the art World make films and

installations and I show them in

Galleries and

museums interestingly this condition has

given me the freedom to be an immigrant

within various disciplines fusing

unlikely worlds and cultures and this

has helped me to embrace

dualities in my own life and in my work

and many of the work I'll be sharing

with you today wouldn't be possible had

I not worked in this

way this picture age 11 in my room in

Cyprus probably marks the roots of my

outstander condition uh you can see the

book in the corner which represents my

obsession with Technology based on

aircraft you can see the the white desk

which was the first piece I was lucky

enough to design and my interest in the

world of women is marked by The Dressing

Table in the corner that belong to my

step

sister these are some of the titles I'll

be uh sharing with you today that

informed the work and I'll first start

with

separation when I was seven I was sent

to England from North Cypress to study

in boarding school and I pretty much

felt separated from my mother I felt I

was too young to really go abroad and in

those days uh it was very expensive to

communicate by telephone so we used to

write arram letters to each

other many years later I decided to look

at this uh situation and created the AML

clothing series uh which is a dress you

can write on you can spray perfume on

you can wear you can wash and I like to

hear the idea that you can send the

dress to a loved one and maybe this

dress can become a token for your

absence or your

presence unlike a dress that you can

send by mail uh this was a dress I

covered in iron filings and I buried it

in the ground for several months and

after I dug out the dress uh I felt that

the dress actually acquired its own life

and became what I call a piece of future

archaeology here I was interested in the

idea that a garment that has a certain

value now could become part of an

archaeological Archive of the

future during the atrocities in Cyprus

in the 60s between Greek and Turkish

cypriots uh my mother's uh family had a

warning that there was going to be a

raid in her area and many years later I

asked her what was the first thing you

thought about taking with you at that

moment in time and she said to me old

photographs and

food then I decided to look at this idea

and take it a lot further and I started

to look at how you could carry your

possessions with you much more

efficiently so I looked at how you can

transform Furniture in order that you

can carry them away quickly at the time

of war and this led to this next piece

I'll show you

fore

name

M

you

so

uh talking about having to move move out

of your home at the time of War and the

displacement that creates uh the next

film is a meditation on how much moving

around and the isolation this is

creating uh the journey starts from

London and goes to Istanbul uh ends in

the bossus which which divides Asia and

Europe

another aspect of Our Lives which I find

fascinating is the speed in which our

lives are evolving from the speed of the

body to the speed of consumption to the

economy and inertia the next

project uh starts off with uh the

crystallized moment of a crash as a

result of speed this is n Gallery

environment then in a fashion

show and this is its most commercial and

uh let's say accessible uh ramification

uh Swift shoe with develop with

pummer this idea is probably a very good

example of how uh one thought can lead

to three forms of expression in a

gallery environment fashion show and uh

as an accessible uh usable uh

product going from speed one of the most

modern experiences in the world uh the

next project is about looking at the

past

and how religious ideals of the past has

been replaced by our obsession with

lifestyle in

doente I looked at josing uh an ethereal

image of the body inspired by Jacob's

letter hence the hands climbing up the

body and uh looked at how I could fuse

that with uh image of the body from the

French Riviera from the

60s

I was raised by women so for me in my

fashion it's very important to empower

women uh and the kind of woman that I

project is is a woman that's

self-confident and uh who is not an

object and who doesn't have to hide

behind our

clothes here the the Peeping lady is

hiding behind the clothes but in fact

she was merged with the folds in the

garments

okay so uh in armide Leela uh you will

see the previous image from doente and

here the Turkish singer stup erer is

actually wearing a piece of clothing

from the previous fashion show that you

saw uh this is a 3D print of her uh done

5 years ago and it took us actually 3

days to print unlike uh some of the

demonstrations uh ear in the week and uh

I wanted to really say that music is a

very big source of inspiration for me

because I find that uh it's the most

profound uh kind of uh let's say

experience we could have and visual

people try to create the same effect but

I feel they they can never really create

the same impact here I look at Turkish

classical music uh because this music is

evolved from the cost pollination of

many cultures in that region and I'll

show you an nextt from this

project

fore

as a three-year-old I was obsessed with

the Bonet man and at that time I was in

I was in London with my parents and

um my father said to me that we were

going to actually go and visit the Binet

man and as turkey cypriots never go

empty-handed I would also take uh some

Turkish delight for him and uh we drove

from Finchley North London to Madame tus

swords and because as a three-year-old I

have no concept of of distance and time

I actually thought we drove to America

to see Steve

Austin and this project uh next is

probably the uh is the reason why um I

actually um went ahead because I was

interested in technology from that age

and I guess uh interested in the

apparent impossibility of

Technology uh for this project 111 uh I

wanted to make dresses that could run

themselves bit bit like bionic dresses

and uh thematically I wanted to look at

uh maybe how the environment could

affect the image of the Body for

instance have wars have have uh led to a

disempowered or an empowered image of

the body or how movements have led to a

liberated image of the body here I

worked with uh people from many

different disciplines mechanical

engineers uh programmers people that had

never worked on projects like this

before and we developed uh six dresses I

will share with you five of them uh

which uh morphed mechanically to to

actually Mark uh a change of an era in

each

dress and you will you will see an

excerpt of this as the finale of the

show

w

w

being an immigrant within uh different

disciplines has allowed me to discover

worlds that I wouldn't have never

discovered otherwise and I've learned to

se that outside the status is a

privilege allowing me to see that uh

Alien worlds can coexist and can Inspire

each other even leading to also uh

connections that might eventually uh

actually end up

uh developing new disciplines Al

together thank

you