Last night saw the opening of Hussein Chalayan's exhibition at the Design Museum in London, where hundreds of fans flocked to the capital's first major fashion party of the year.
The Turkish Cypriot's abiding fascination with technology has consistently produced work that pushes the boundaries of modern fashion, such as his famous "table dress" - a coffee table which morphed into a skirt - and garments emitting red LED lasers.
Based in London's East End but now showing in Paris, the 38-year old has been on the fashion map ever since his graduate collection at Central Saint Martins in 1993, which featured decomposed clothing buried in his garden and dug up again for the show. These pieces, along with 35 of his most striking creations, are on display at the show, along with five short films, including "Absent Presence", featuring Tilda Swinton.
It isn't all just high concept, however. He is also the creative director at Puma, who in turn invest in his label and are the main sponsors of the exhibition.
He is also fascinated by the internet, in particular the idea of everyone being connected, and the possibilities it presents to fashion. "In respect to how I think that the whole world is interconnected, I think that definitely relates to the web," he told us, adding, "I'm interested in how the internet can be incorporated into clothing. It is something I definitely want to incorporate into my work in future."
Hussein Chalayan: From fashion and back exhibits at the Design Museum 22 January-17 May 2009
