Umit Benan

men’s fashion designer, Milan

portrait by EMANUELE FONTANESI
interview by SVEN SCHUMANN

 

Turkish-born menswear designer Umit Benan’s collections always revolve around strong male archetypes, such as the investment banker, the graffiti artist, or the Italian gentleman. But Benan does not just design his collections around his themes, he also uses them as the setting for his theatrical fashion shows, which have made him a name in men’s fashion.

SVEN SCHUMANN — You always choose a very specific theme for your collections. How important is that for your creative process?
UMIT BENAN — For me, the most important thing has always been what context I want to present my collection in. At the beginning of my career, I asked myself, “What do I want to present?” The answer was not the clothes but rather a scene from 15 minutes of a lifetime. I wanted to find real people, give them…