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by Alexandra Mansilla
Bünyamin Aydin, Les Benjamins: ‘You Could Describe Me As Anti-Fashion’
24 Jun 2024
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Les Benjamins came onto the scene in 2011 and has hit some impressive milestones since then. In this interview, we are not just talking about the brand itself but also diving into the life of its founder and creative director, Bünyamin Aydin. How did he go from being an immigrant kid to founding a streetwear brand? Why is the Les Benjamins slogan "I fly carpets"? And how do Benji's roots influence the collections he creates? Get the answers to these questions and more below.
— Benji, your journey is extremely interesting. First of, wow, your father was a rug collector! How many rugs did he have? Did he have a special place for them at home?
— Many. I prefer not to disclose the number. As a kid growing up, I was always confused as to why he had different ones. He would also give them to his close friends. He also loved flying back to his city — he was born in Bayburt. Every year, he would take us there.
— Seven years ago, you said: “I see myself as an eagle that flies alone.” Does that still hold true?
— Yes, I forgot I said that. Now I fly carpets alone.
— By the way, “I fly carpets” — how did you come up with this slogan?
— As an immigrant child growing up in a small town, you daydream a lot. Since I know myself I have dreams and visions about the future. “I Fly Carpets” is my imagery world that allows me to dream and be by myself. A lot of people can relate to this.
— Again, as an immigrant kid, what do you remember about that time?
— I was the only Turkish kid in the class. Everyone is blonde, and I am the Turk in the room. It takes time until you mature and feel confident to be able to say your German-Turkish.
— You said, “My brain is German, my heart is Turkish.” How does that manifest in your life?
— It is all about my German upbringing and Turkish identity. I was always forced to choose a side until I realised I could be both and that it defines who I am.
— And how can we see your roots in your collections?
— Duality. Everything that is a juxtaposition is linked to my identity.
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Photo: Nikita Berezhnoy
— You were quite young when you launched the brand. What was that experience like? How did you fund it?
— I asked my mother for help. She gave me the first money to start my first collection. I was 21 years old.
— You mentioned, “Every year, my designs are maturing.” Do you remember your very first design for Les Benjamins and your latest one? How has your work evolved?
— Everything evolved, and I grew up a lot as a person and designer. Back then, I was more into collaging and graphic prints. Now I am really into avant-garde tailoring and being timeless in the sense of design. You could describe me personally as anti-fashion.
— You once said the best advice you ever received was: “Always be open-minded and ask someone who knows better.” Did you have someone who always knew better? Or maybe now you have personal advice based on your own experience?
— Every moment as a designer and each stage of building your brand has different needs. Sometimes, you have issues translating your designs to actual prototypes, and sometimes, issues with print. Building your own fashion brand isn’t easy, and it comes with multiple challenges. It is hard to name all of them. I actually want to do a book one day; maybe there, I can do it. My best advice would be to don’t look too far. Look around you.
— Can you describe your typical customer? What do they look like? What do they usually wear? I mean, you think about your general customers when designing clothes — how do you picture them?
— I don’t see them as customers but more as people who are on the same mission. The mission is to reconnect the Near East, Middle East, and Far East in conversation with the West. You could be an architect, photographer, musician, or someone with an interest in creativity. If you feel like you are part of this movement, you wear Les Benjamins.
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Photo: Nikita Berezhnoy
— When you were in Japan, you met a contemporary monk who was into fashion. Can you tell us more about that?
— Toryo Ito and I talked about fashion and technology, which you don’t expect from a traditional Japanese monk. We both share similar passions, and we talked about Rei Kawakubo, Issey Miyake, and Yohji Yamamoto. Sometimes, what you see isn’t enough. You need to get deeper. I can’t wait to host him in Istanbul in September.
— Every brand has its mission and values. What are Les Benjamins’ mission and values?
— To bring together the Near East, Middle East, and the Far East. Build a new Silk Road that celebrates fashion, art, music, and culture.
— You designed a plane. How did that come about?
— This was a 10.30 pm phone call request, and they gave me three days to design it. Probably the wildest call I ever had was this Airbus 330. I titled it “Flying Carpet” by Benji for Turkish Airlines Team Turkiye Tokyo 2020.
— What are you working on now? What are your plans for developing the brand?
— For the past 1,5 years, I have been working on 100 Years of Friendship between Japan & Türkiye, and the event will be in September from 13th to 15th. I don’t wanna give spoilers, but it is setting a new path for Les Benjamins’ future.
— Are you currently working on any collaborations?
— Yes; but I can’t share these, unfortunately. I am working on three global collaborations right now.
— Okay, one more attempt, but your response is predictable. What will the next Les Benjamins collection be like?
— I can’t tell you this.
— Streetwear started as a movement among punks. When did it become something expensive?
— Yohji Yamamoto made it expensive. Futura, Pharrell, Nigo and Hiroshi Fujiwara pushed it forward. They inspired me to do the same for the Middle East.
— Streetwear in the UAE — what is it like? How would you describe it? Is it diverse, or is there room for growth?
A big thanks to the team who organised the shoot.
Producer: Polina Kutukova
Set Design: Dmitrii Kitavin
Photo: Nikita Berezhnoy
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