HUGO and Les Benjamins Join Forces For a Capsule Collection Celebrating Turk Guest Workers

East meets West in HUGO’s latest collaboration with the Istanbul-based streetwear brand Les Benjamins. Celebrating cultural dialogue and diversity, the HUGO x Les Benjamins capsule collection blends HUGO’s tailoring heritage with the vibrant aesthetics that Les Benjamins is recognized for. The collection launch was accompanied by a campaign featuring Apsilon, Tijen Ekici, Kisha Hahn, Simo Baakoun, Azama Bashir, and Arinc Cemal.

HUGO x Les Benjamins

Hugo Boss’ sub-label HUGO joined forces with streetwear brand Les Benjamins to create a Fall Winter 2024 capsule. Founded by multihyphenate artist Bünyamin Aydin, Les Benjamins is one of Istanbul’s leading luxury streetwear brands.

In this creative team-up and accompanying campaign, HUGO and Les Benjamins explore the experience of growing up Turkish in Germany. The 18-piece launch consists of womenswear, menswear and a gender-neutral segment. Highlights include varsity jackets, double-breasted jackets, matching sets, hosiery, a modern-day reiteration of the classic white shirt and a swan-motif sweatshirt.

The capsule also features iconography that references the history of Turk immigrants who arrived in Germany as part of guest worker (Gastarbeiters) programs between the ‘50s and ‘70s. A sketched swan emblem and an embroidered rose represent the unity between Turkey and Germany, as well as the enduring love that connects families despite the distance. Nodding to the children of Gastarbeiter (also known as Key Kids), a double-key insignia pays tribute to the kids of guest workers who often displayed independence and responsibility as they returned to empty homes while their parents worked. “The double-key emblem not only honors resilience, but symbolizes the capsule’s ambition to unlock doors for the next generation, offering them a path to create their own narratives,” shared HUGO in a press statement.

“This collaboration with HUGO pays homage to my Gastarbeiter grandparents, whose journey from Turkey to Germany in the 1960s shaped my identity, and whose courage formed who I am today,” shared Bünyamin Aydin, founder of Les Benjamins. “Being at peace with my identity as a proud German-Turk without having to choose one side is incredibly fulfilling, and I hope this capsule will inspire others to embrace their duality and be true to themselves.”

The Campaign Launch

HUGO’s collaboration with Les Benjamins was introduced with a stylish campaign shot in Berlin by Turkish Director Furkan Cetin and photographer Nina Raasch. An inspiring cast composed of rapper Apsilon, models Tijen Ekici, Kisha Hahn and Simo Baakoun, performing artist Azama Bashir and writer and creative Arinc Cemal, starred in the audiovisual material.

To commemorate the collection release, HUGO and Les Benjamins hosted an event at Voo Space in Berlin on July 10. The event was attended by a curated guestlist that included press, influencers, and Berlin-based creative talents. German-Turkish rapper Apsilon was responsible for the music performance at the collection launch party.