PUMA by Hussein Chalayan 2012 Fall/Winter Lookbook

Hussein Chalayan‘s collections always seem to transcend the runway and exist somewhere outside the temporal realm. For Fall/Winter 2012, he has managed to shake off even the terrestrial confines of busy schedules, traffic jams and city throngs for a PUMA by Hussein Chalayan collection inspired by the tranquility of outer space. Taking “outer” wear to its most extreme definition, the designer’s streamlined garments — winter classics constructed using high technical fabrics and other-wordly design cues — were created with astronaut gear in mind, while still maintaining everyday usability. The Space Performance Jacket, for example, is a hooded, all-weather piece featuring a dense 100% synthetic woven fabric and stormCELL FORCE 2 designation; it is, in layman’s terms, basically impervious to the elements. Other pieces showcase 3M and technical finishes in clean, contemporary cuts. Though the collection is grounded by footwear, the shoes are by no means any less inspired. The Strelka, taking its moniker from the Russian space dog that was launched in the ’60s, features nylon straps and a moon boot collar design over a wedge sole. The Urban Swift, meanwhile — a shoe that mimics motion even with its wearer at a complete standstill — makes perhaps its final appearance in citron and grey colorways. Both models temper their space-age designs with premium materials and wearable function. Chalayan’s own inaugural runway collection involved decomposed fabrics that had been buried in a friend’s backyard for six months. With the Fall/Winter 2012 PUMA by Hussein Chalayan offerings, he has created a collection that fuses both galactic tendencies and grounded, earthly functionality.