Les Benjamins & Apple Go "From Earth to Sky" in Turkey Runway Show
Presenting the brand’s 15th anniversary collection outdoors in Cappadocia, accompanied by massive hot air balloons.
Summary
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Les Benjamins partnered with Apple for its 15th-anniversary “From Earth to Sky” collection in Cappadocia, blending East and West.
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The runway show, featuring custom hot-air balloons, was designed on iPad Pro and filmed on iPhone 18 Pro Max.
On Wednesday, Les Bejamins teamed up with Apple to bring its new collection to life, showcasing the “From Earth to Sky” spectacle in Cappadocia, Turkey. Shot on the iPhone 18 Pro Max by French filmmaker Neels Castillon, Bünyamin Aydın’s latest show celebrated 15 years of his Istanbul-based lifestyle brand.
Inspired by his Anatolian heritage, Aydın began developing the collection in early 2026 with the iPad Pro (with Apple Pencil Pro) and iPhone 17 Pro Max, capturing photos and 4K video for inspiration, assembling moodboards on Freeform and prototyping the custom-built hot-air balloons on Procreate. On working with the Apple Pencil and iPad, the designer explained, “Working with regular pen and paper feels very natural, but the hover feature on Apple Pencil Pro lets me preview every stroke before I even make it, so I can see any mistakes beforehand.”
The collection itself represents Aydın’s multicultural heritage, having been born in Germany. With what he calls a “German discipline and Turkish heart,” the duality runs through the collection. “The canvas is the West; the paint is the East,” Aydın shared about the collection, which combines contemporary silhouettes with Turkish fabrics, along with Silk Road influences. Even the massive hot air balloons drew from the flora of the Anatolian landscape, depicting green Echinops, pink trumpets, and yellow tulips. “I see my role as that of a translator and a bridge between East and West,” Aydın added. “I hope this project makes Turkish people proud.”
To capture the runway show, Castillon utilized the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s variable aperture to achieve smooth transitions while filming in varied sunlight, leaning on the A20 Pro chip to sustain continuous 4K recording without overheating. By mounting the phones to custom drones, he leveraged the Ultra Wide lens to frame the gigantic balloons during high-speed passes. Additionally, shooting in 4K120 fps and ProRes RAW provided added flexibility for cinematic slow-motion and complex color grading.
See the exclusive imagery above captured by Abdullah M. Alshayji (@shaijieee). Les Benjamins’ “From Earth to Sky” show will be released on Apple beginning on October 16.
