Hussein Chalayan is creating an avant-garde dance show

Hussein Chalayan has never shied away from movement – from his animatronic dresses to garments that turn into furniture, his work is an interplay of fashion and human physicality. But now he's moving into another transformative sphere: dance. 

The British and Turkish-Cypriot designer is collaborating on a contemporary dance show with Sadler's Wells, one of London's greatest dance institutions. He will direct and design the entire show, working with 13 dancers and choreographer Damien Jalet. 

It's not the first time that Chalayan has teamed up with Sadler's Wells; he presented his AW00 collection on its stage, a jawdropping runway show that included the now-iconic coffee table skirt. Over the years, he has also designed the costumes for several shows, but Gravity Fatigue – which is inspired by themes of identity and displacement – will be his own creation entirely.    

“I feel very honoured to be given this opportunity at Sadler’s Wells, to be able to extend my interests and world view into the realms of performance and dance,” he said. “Fashion for me is a very important part of culture, however, in many cases clothes can limit the expression of certain ideas. This production will allow me to showcase ideas which I have been collecting for many years and to build narratives around and with the body in a much broader context than ever seen before in my work.” 

Want to see what avant-garde fashion looks like when combined with dance? Gravity Fatigue premieres on 28 October and runs until the end of the month.