Umit Benan sets showing aside

Five seasons, then he is off. Umit Benan is tired of the fashion calendar's rituals and pressure, and will not be showing in Paris in June.

The Turkish designer's shows were highly popular. Benan, born in Germany in 1980, posted a picture on Instagram on the evening of Wednesday 11th May, announcing he will stop showing, and thanking his staff for their support.

On 12th May the designer issued a brief release, in which he explained that "shows ought to be a celebration, and not a 3 pm or 4 pm time slot in the calendar."

Umit Benan launched his menswear brand in 2009 in Milan, where he began showing. From January 2014 he opted for the Paris catwalks.

"I want to be able to work without the constraint of deadline stress, and to focus on creating clothes that can utterly satisfy me," he continued, inviting his audience "not to worry about external factors."

"I am convinced that my decision will allow me to improve my work," he concluded, promising he is likely to return "for a party" when the time will be right.

Shows are a hefty investment for designers. Like several of his colleagues, Umit Benan prefers to give himself time to think, no doubt looking for other, less expensive means of communicating and presenting his collections.

The Turkish designer offers his own take on classic menswear clothing, blending tailored cuts with volumes that are a touch sportswear, and using mostly Italian fabrics.

He first came to the fore at Pitti Uomo, winning the very first Who's On Next award for menswear in 2009. Between 2011 and 2013 he was also in charge of design at Trussardi, both for menswear and womenswear, besides working on his own line.

Umit Benan sets showing aside

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