Les Benjamins presents “El Gringo” the newest chapter in a narrative that rewrites the terms of cultural exchange between East and West. As Correspondent Designer for the second year in a row, the Istanbul label is proud to close this year’s Spring/Summer 2026 edition.
 
Our story today begins with an outsider – a gringo from the Near East – arriving in Mexico. Through his eyes, traditions collide and transform, giving rise to a novel interpretation of diaspora. Between the kilims of Anatolia and the blankets of the Navajo, Les Benjamins’ geometric patterns trace a shared language of migration.
 
Creative director Bünyamin Aydın and womenswear design director Lamia AlOtaishan Aydın recast cultural imaginaries as chic, contemporary streetwear. Their vision is inspired by Frida Kahlo, Chavela Vargas, and Pedro Infante – figures whose influence continues to shape the imagination of today’s youth.
 
“El Gringo” gives that vision physical form. Silhouettes alternate between relaxed and precise. Trousers are shaped for movement across plains. Shirts are cut true to their origins. Jackets arrive tailored but softened by summer light. A palette composed of punchy hues from desert palm to galaxy blue forms a backdrop for textures that speak in many dialects: raw-edged linen; fringes swaying like desert grass in the wind; beadwork imbued with the spirit of age-old artisanship.