Fashion / FeatureMeet the streetwear label at the heart of creative IstanbulWith sexed-up leather and satirical graphics, Les Benjamins gives the rest of the world a lesson in escaping sportswear cliches for AW15ShareLink copied ✔️November 25, 2015FashionFeatureTextClaire Marie HealyPhotographyAmy GwatkinStylingElizabeth Fraser-BellLes Benjamins AW15 Taken from the autumn/winter 2015 issue of Dazed: Les Benjamins is creating a new world order for Istanbul’s community of creatives. But in 2015, it’s as much about the world switching on to Istanbul as it is about how young Turks are representing worldwide. This season, the label rebelled against streetwear conformity and took things to the dark side: leather was the second skin of choice, with boys wearing Matrix-esque coats over futuristic sweatshirts and the brand’s signature satirical graphics. For the girls, demure pinafores were sexed up with embossed leather and rebel-inked lips – think the girl gang in The Craft, but scrubbed of any 90s nostalgia. For founder and creative director Bunyamin Aydin, Les Benjamins escapes sportswear cliches through the culture clash of its home city and its roots in Ottoman culture. “You need to be yourself,” he says, citing the inauthenticity of brands that deny their eastern roots in favour of western fashion capitals. “I could have done a catwalk in Paris, but it’s cool to do it from Istanbul. I want the city to see this.” Subscribe to Dazed magazine here or pick up your copy from newsstands now All clothes by Les Benjamins AW15Hair Maki Tanaka using Bumble and bumble; make-up Nobuko Maekawa using Sisley Skincare and Cosmetics; model Phoebe Collings-James at Eleventen; photographic assistant Lee Whittaker; fashion assistant Ioana Ivan; hair assistant Tracy Grabs Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy Expand your creative community and connect with 15,000 creatives from around the world.READ MORE BurberryKate Moss, Little Simz, and more celebrate 170 years of BurberryIn pictures: David Luraschi captures model of the moment, Serkan Deniz GANNIGANNI is yearning for a dreamy summer – and so are we FILAFrom track to concrete: Fila reimagines sportswear in the city for AW26Behind the scenes at Zomer and La Watchparty’s AW26 runwayLove machine: When robot HMND Alpha met model Angelina KendallSaint Laurent AW26 paid tribute to the iconic Le Smoking jacketDior AW26: Jonathan Anderson invites us to his (lily) pad Hodakova AW26 wants us to take a long, hard look in the mirrorPerfection and chaos collided at Vaquera’s AW26 showAre you ready for the return of the ‘everyday tiara’?Meryll Rogge takes Marni: ‘I need to make sure I don’t fuck it up’Escape the algorithm! Get The DropEmail address SIGN UP Get must-see stories direct to your inbox every weekday. Privacy policy Thank you. You have been subscribed Privacy policy