Les Benjamins Takes Inspiration from Korean War

Les Benjamins’ Spring/Summer 2025 collection, From a Thousand Miles Away, Unconditional Love, continues the Istanbul-based platform’s approach of merging cultural narratives with contemporary streetwear. Under the direction of founder and creative director Bünyamin Aydin, the collection takes inspiration from the relationship between Turkish soldiers and the Korean people during the Korean War, between 1950 and 1953.

The collection features 397 pieces—230 for men and 167 for women—and reinterprets military-inspired design through a personal and historical lens. Traditional Korean hanoks inform the structure and aesthetic language of several pieces, while nods to uniforms, camouflage, and field gear are reimagined with softer, more fluid materials. Jacquard patterns of interlocking hearts, mirroring techniques, and subtle embroidery all reference themes of empathy and cultural exchange.

Aydin’s time in Seoul played a central role in shaping the direction of the collection. The local use of the term “brother country” in reference to Turkey led him to explore the deep-rooted sense of solidarity between the two nations. Although Turkey’s military presence during the Korean War was relatively small, the emotional impact and lasting relationships formed on the ground became the foundation for this season’s concept. Aydin reflects on how the Turkish soldiers fought as if the war was their own, driven by a sense of duty and kinship that transcended borders.

Design details throughout the collection are symbolic. Gradient tones and handcrafted elements run alongside traditional streetwear silhouettes, offering a mix of classic and contemporary. Subtle camouflage prints and soft tailoring reinforce the blend of resilience and intimacy that underpins the narrative.