Hussein Chalayan, A/W 2003 Wool Zipped Blazer Jacket

Hussein Chalayan’s Fall Winter 2003 runway opened with drapey dresses, wafer-thin pants, and a combination of utility and patchwork jackets adorned with embroidery and zippers. These outfits were paired with perfectly moulded tight dresses made of leather and the likes of high heels which perfectly executed the vision Chalayan was projecting. His distinctive aesthetic revolves beyond trendiness, but in more influential abstract layers onto clothing - such as the meshing of ethnic wear into seemingly urban materials such as cotton, leather, and denim. What might be seemingly experimental is the concrete of his cool conceptualisations and abstract narratives: such as noting this show’s runway imagery from performance art to inflatable pockets next to a wooden ship symbolised Noah’s Ark for his design.

Here we have a wonderfully constructed blazer jacket, in a wool/rayon blend, that was featured in the runway presentation in multiple colourways, seen here in the black on black iteration. Details include a multitude of zippers placed around the entirety of the garment with the focal centre point being the front, whereby when unzipped it exposes another layer of fabric with a slight sheen. The excess fabric then drapes beautifully down the body creating abstract shapes. Further features include a zipper closure and two almost hidden pockets on the front lower body.

Composition: Wool/Rayon.

Size 40.

Chest: 43cm
Shoulder: 38cm
Length: 60cm
Sleeve: 62cm

Condition 9.5/10.