Les Benjamins Marks 15 Years with Cappadocia Apple Show

Les Benjamins unveiled its 'From Earth to Sky' collection at a runway show in Cappadocia, Turkey, celebrating 15 years of the Istanbul-based lifestyle brand. The event, a partnership with Apple, fused Turkish heritage with technology, blending contemporary silhouettes with Turkish fabrics and Silk Road influences.

The brand's founder, Bünyamin Aydın, who was born in Germany and describes his heritage as 'German discipline and Turkish heart', led the project. It began to take shape during a research trip to Cappadocia in early 2026.

Creative Process

Bünyamin Aydın used an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil Pro alongside an iPhone 17 Pro Max to develop the entire collection. He leveraged the Freeform app to organize fabric references and early designs, sharing evolving mood boards with collaborators. For prototyping, he used Procreate on the iPad Pro, utilizing the Apple Pencil Pro's hover feature to preview strokes and its low latency for an immersive drawing experience. Aydın compares the tool's use to muscle memory from gaming, where squeezing, double-tapping, and switching to the eraser feel reflexive.

Multitasking on the device allowed him to sketch while referencing photos and researching native Anatolian flora in Safari. This research centered on three specific flowers that inspired the collection: the spiky green Echinops, flutelike pink trumpets, and wild yellow tulips. During his trip, Aydın used the iPhone 17 Pro Max to shoot photographs and 4K video at 60 frames per second to capture the terrain.

Production & Technology

The runway show itself was filmed by French filmmaker Neels Castillon using iPhone 18 Pro Max models. The production achieved a cinematic look by shooting in 4K at 120 frames per second in ProRes RAW, allowing for high-quality slow motion and detailed color grading. Castillon used the phone's variable aperture and relied on its A20 Pro chip and improved thermal management for continuous 4K recording without overheating.

To capture the show's most spectacular elements, phones were mounted on custom-built drones. Each drone carried two iPhone 18 Pro Max models equipped with 48MP Fusion Ultra Wide cameras. Feeds were synchronized on location, where Castillon reviewed footage and made selections on a MacBook Pro with an M4 Max chip.

The fashion show featured 10 looks and three giant, custom-built hot-air balloons, all inspired by the native floral motifs. The balloons, in neon green, yellow, and pink alongside cream, blue, and natural tones, were created in collaboration with Cappadocia's Pasha Balloons. The pioneer balloon company provided technical assessments and drawings to ensure the artistic shapes were flight-ready. The show took place in Cappadocia's Rose Valley.

Vision & Release

Aydın framed the ambitious project as a cultural mission. "I see my role as that of a translator and a bridge between East and West," he said. He also expressed a hope that the project would make Turkish people proud, describing his creative philosophy as 'The canvas is the West; the paint is the East.'

Apple's latest creative profile followed the project from early sketches to the final show. Exclusive imagery from the event was captured by photographer Abdullah M. Alshayji. The finished film debuts on Apple's Instagram account on October 16.