Back in January, Les Benjamins unveiled its statement-making Fall/Winter 2024 collection. Infused with punk spirit, the extensive range presented the first time that the Istanbul-based label has delved into the world of music for its designs.
“Once you reconnect with your roots and the origins of how music genres started in your hometown, only then can you continue building new movements,” shared creative director Bünyamin Aydin on his approach to the collection. “I wanted to reintroduce these Turkish cultural treasures to the youth.”
In an effort to celebrate the “cultural treasures” of Turkey’s punk scene, Aydin looked to the life and works of ‘70s musician Tünay Akdeniz. From his musical repertoire to his sense of style, Akdeniz embodies a uniquely Eastern punk attitude, lesser known in the global music world, which serves as inspiration for the FW24 collection.
Picking apart the artist’s wardrobe as well as other classic punk aesthetics, the range is defined by streetwear garments reimagined in oversized, baggy silhouettes. Take the winter-ready bomber jacket which arrives with drop shoulders and off-the-cuff sleeves, or the zip-up hoodie featuring a spiked hood and a gaping cut. A popular garment this season, the kilt, also drops in the collection, but instead of the signature tartan, Aydin combines traditional Turkish patterns to create a mismatched paneled aesthetic that dually reflects the Eastern narrative.
In addition to distressed denim jeans and red leather jackets, more formal pieces are brought into the punk realm through hardware adornments and screen-printed designs. Seen in the lookbook over crisp white shirts and ties, the focal longline blazer jacket showcases this rebellious makeover with one half adorned in a Persian carpet-style print, studs on the collars, and loose red threads hanging from the chest.
With pieces designed to be worn by both fashion and music rebels, womenswear design director Lamia Al-Otaishan Aydin, explains, “Our focus is on creating pieces that can be enjoyed by all genders and there’s nothing more rewarding than being able to share our rich underground music community with the world.”
Take a closer look at the Eastern Punk collection via the gallery above.
To shop the new Fall/Winter 2024 collection, head to Les Benjamins’ website now.
Click here to view full gallery at Hypebeast
