Returning to its cultural roots.
For Autumn/ Winter 21’ LES BENJAMINS, the brainchild of Bunyamin Aydin, has unveiled a bold collection featuring a playful diversity of tailored silhouettes, experimental textures, and patterns for the colder months ahead.
Citing Turkish rally culture as the collection’s main inspiration, this season’s garments pay tribute to rally icons — Renç Koçibey, Serdar Bostanci, and Ali Sipahi — with classical racewear codes reinterpreted to set new standards. While the women’s selection combines Turkey’s racing heritage with Michèle Mouton’s iconic style, the capsule itself is fueled by motorsport-inspired clothing and athleisure which have been bought together to create a new sense of proportion and function.
Defined in two chapters —‘’Rally-Style’’ and ‘’Crash & Repair’’ — the collection’s garments explores the narrative of motor-sport culture, from the pilot’s mental preparation to the actual race. In this context, style and performance are the collection’s spiritual and functional pillars and are translated into a rich range of ready-to-wear apparel.
“Juxtaposition is key this season,” explains the brand’s collection notes. “Which is why vintage racing uniforms are reinterpreted with a sharp street culture twist. The track clothes mimic the actual rally in its boldness and stark contrasts: while going through this Fall/Winter 2021 collection, one can perfectly imagine how heavily-modded cars emblazoned with bright sponsor logos engage in off-track racing punctuated by jaw-dropping, wild landscapes and occasional wrecks.”
Raw and utilitarian aesthetics are the focus of the collection, with natural fabric treatment providing a truly artisanal feel. Notable mentions include distressed carpet jacquard, oil spill printed fleeces, and eco-friendly, rally-esque uniforms. There’s also a variety of printed denim and woven knitwear which arrive in earthy hues and eye-popping dashes of magenta.
Thoughts? Shop the full AW21 collection now via the LES BENJAMINS web store.
