A Life at Sea: Umit Benan | Paris Fashion Week 2015-16

Turkish born designer Umit Benan, a relative newcomer to the fashion world, debuted his eponymous line in 2010 at Pitti Uomo 77. Since then the designer has not only been developing his own brand but also working with Trussardi in a an advisory role, one that is now set to see him succeed Milan Vukmirovic as creative director for the house. Umit Benan’s work is characterized by a casual ruggedness with a sense of relaxed elegance an uncluttered stylish wardrobe for the modern fashion man.

This season saw the designer present a resolutely masculine collection that paid tribute to the rugged sartorial codes of the fisherman of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, to create a collection that while strongly themed also offered a host of wearable, durable items united by a strong sense of both comfort and tailoring.

Items that spoke directly to the theatrical face of the collection emerged on rough-hewn street plucked models - the fisherman’s iconic yellow rain slick wading pants rendered in blue leather and workman's style overalls in ultra heavy corduroy, but these pieces were mixed with casual, practical items that spoke as much to life in the city as the fishing boat. Items were rendered in deep earthy tones of green, olive and brown. Sportswear finishing gave a sense of movement and modernity to the rugged traditional textiles. A thick double breasted suit in graphic plaid, and a louche herringbone suit, completed by a thick hooded leather jacket communicated an unstructured attitude but also a bold silhouette.