Bünyamin Aydin

Bünyamin Aydin was born in Neuss, Germany, and relocated to Istanbul, Turkey at age 12. The Les Benjamins brand is a coalescence of founder and designer Bünyamin Aydin’s interests in drawing, photography, and art. “The brand is a touch point for people to enter our world. I want people to feel part of our movement, which begins with the East.” In 2017, Aydin’s work caught the attention of Nike. Aydin was commissioned to be part of a global campaign titled Vote Forward; where he was selected as 1 of 12 designers to imagine the future of Air Max. This partnership later developed into a program of custom  Air Force 1s, when Nike commissioned Aydin to create 100 Istanbul-inspired Air Force 1s, sold at a pop-up event. These projects have positioned Aydin as Turkey’s foremost sneaker authority, and a collector whose eye drifts towards limited edition and autographed models. Aydin is a passionate photographer and a proud ambassador of Leica. He also spends his spare time as a music curator and DJ, both internationally and in his hometown of Istanbul. While Aydin is firmly rooted in his Turkish heritage, he is also an avid traveller and explorer.