Long ago, the Altai people told of a mountain that shone like silver, where a golden deer leapt into the sky to guide humans toward the spirit world. That legend, whispered across generations, speaks not only of beauty but of balance—between earth and sky, humans and nature, past and present. It is from this landscape of myth and memory that Les Benjamins’ Fall/Winter 2025 collection, Altaicana emerges. Under the creative direction of Bunyamin Aydin, the Istanbul-based brand explores what it means to awaken ancestral stories in a modern world and reflects on the link between humans and nature.
The collection unfolds like a landscape — mountains, rivers, and meadows shifting through the seasons, from spring to winter, and from dawn to night. The garments echo the environment itself: earthy tones, deep greens, and patterns recalling the snow-covered peaks of the Altai. Layered textures, symbolic motifs, and contemporary silhouettes inspired by nomadic lifestyles reinforce this sense of belonging, with leather, traditional embroidery, and structured constructions shaping the narrative and carrying this worldview into fabric.
Altaicana presents itself as a fusion of influences and heritage. Drawing from Turkic, Mongolic, Korean, and Japanese traditions while also nodding to Native American palettes, it brings together different worlds in a respectful dialogue. Mountains, rivers, and valleys become part of the collection as entities with a soul — places of reconnection. Altaicana is a story about balance and harmony, where people do not stand above nature but merge with it, with respect and gratitude. Because nature is not our inheritance but a loan.
