Finding Your Global Self: Bünyamin Aydın

This season, Les Benjamins presented a futuristic imagination of what the first lunar colony would look like. Bundled with expressions of Creative Director Bünyamin Aydin’s signature look towards the East, the collection showed us the possibilities of blending past and present, old and new, all in service of a collective future. Yet, this isn’t all Les Benjamins is imagining — under the helm of Aydin, the brand is expanding into East Asia, particularly Japan and Korea, with influences such as tabi split-toe shoes becoming a staple of new collections. 

We sat down with Bünyamin to learn about these synergies; how to imagine the East, how to think of the future, and most importantly, how to stay true to yourself.

Starting with you and your travels – lately, you’ve been visiting East Asia quite frequently, both for inspiration and for the brand. What’s the motivation behind this current venture to the so-called Far East?

My creative vision and inspirations actually come from the Near, Middle, and Far East. Japan has always been one of my favorite countries to visit. The traditional arts, crafts, and design philosophies have served as tools to inspire what Les Benjamins’ DNA is all about. I’m trying to defy the clichés of the East, but at the same time, I’m working to move our cultures forward. We recently did a pop-up store in Seoul, which made me so happy. I love bringing people together from different backgrounds.

On the subject of inspiration, what has been inspiring you lately? Where do you seek creative freedom and liberty?

Japanese attention to detail and their cultural approach of choosing to take their time to pay respect in what they are doing have been inspiring. When you innovate, unfortunately, you can also lose your values and the traditional tips and tricks that great-grandparents would have passed down to you. Archiving and passing knowledge from one generation to another is something we should do more of. I could write more, but the inspirations I get from Japan are countless.

“Culture spreads and evolves in its own way. Nobody can control how something evolves in other places.”

-Bünyamin Aydın

Your ‘First Wave’ collection is about exploring boundaries beyond Earth, envisioning the inaugural colony from Earth on a lunar desert landscape. Quite similarly, the ‘East,’ particularly the Middle East and East Asia, were once considered beyond the boundaries of this world—a hinterland so distant that only Western conquest could understand it. Was this overlap involved in your creative process?

They are always involved in all my collections. The Silk Road is a huge inspiration for our Les Benjamins design philosophy. Culture spreads and evolves in its own way. Nobody can control how something evolves in other places. This collection is a melting pot of the entire East, infused with futurism.

Over time, the concept behind each of your collections becomes more complex, more thought-provoking. What is your process for imagining and dreaming up the story for each new season?

I always dream. Sometimes, I dream too much, and try to simplify my thoughts. It’s hard to translate ideas into garments. It’s even hard for me sometimes to express my full story. Some things are emotional. I think not being able to explain everything is cool too. It becomes unintentionally mysterious, and lots of people can make up their own story. Isn’t that art?

What’s next on your horizon? What’s the next big thing in your mind?

I want to be a father. In terms of Les Benjamins, it has grown to be bigger than I ever could have imagined. So, I’m very grateful for the love and support of our community. I’d love to open two stores in Japan, one in Tokyo and one in Kyoto. Let’s see what the future holds. We have some exciting global collaborations coming up in 2024.

Interview by Ethan Ekin Dinçer

Photographed by Abdullah Yazıc