Bench keeps pants on, but still sizzles
After an eight-year hiatus, the Bench underwear and denim show was back last week to thrill fans who filled the SM Mall of Asia Arena with their cheers. A biennial event of the apparel brand that was halted during the pandemic, it was revived this year by Ben Chan, founder and CEO of Suyen Corp., together with his team, including creative consultant Noel Manapat and the show’s artistic director, Gypsy Snider.
Many of the brand’s Benchsetters or celebrity endorsers strutted their stuff on the runway against a changing background flashed on LED screens. They were joined by dozens of models who had been cast after a series of go-sees held last year.
For anyone who’s ever watched any of the brand’s denim and underwear bonanzas held throughout the years, it’s really about the chance to see their favorite stars in skimpy undies and little else.
This time, however, was a bit different. It was tamer in the sense that there were fewer scream-out-loud moments. In one of the earlier iterations of the show, over a dozen male models filed out onto the runway totally nude, their palms cupped around their genitals before they proceeded to sit or lie down in full view of the audience. While the men lined both sides of the runway, a bevy of female models walked out bare-breasted wearing only the skimpiest of panties.
One viewer who had attended all of the brand’s underwear shows recalled how actor Wendell Ramos was one of the most anticipated during his time as a Bench endorser because he exuded equal parts charm and confidence despite wearing only a pair of briefs. It certainly helped that the “flawless” Ramos stood apart from the other male models who sported tattoos all over their bodies.
One of the most controversial shows was the one in 2014, when actor Coco Martin led a foreign female model on a leash. The backlash was quick, with former Gabriela party list representative Liza Maza describing the incident as “a degrading and dehumanizing portrayal of women.”
Bench issued an apology on its Facebook page then, saying the incident would serve as a lesson for the company in the future.
Brand heritage
The Bench team seems to have taken this to heart when they began brainstorming on “Body of Work” last year. This time there were no incendiary images or statements, with many of the big-name actors keeping their pants on throughout the show.
Actor Alden Richards was one of the first to come out wearing denim overalls and a white sleeveless muscle tee. He then proceeded to tease the audience, walking from one side of the stage to the other before ripping off his shirt to reveal an oiled and muscled torso.
Manapat mined the brand’s heritage that goes back almost 40 years ago to 1987, when Chan opened the first Bench store that sold an assortment of casual tees. Manapat said that the opening look worn by Richards was based on an ad of Richard Gomez, the first Bench celebrity endorser.
“We reprinted the same tank top Richard wore for Alden to wear,” the creative consultant told Lifestyle. “His overalls, as well as many other pieces in the first segment we called ‘1987,’ were embellished with tags and labels gathered from the archives from the past three decades.”
The show was divided into five segments: 1987, Active, Everyday, Red, and Tomorrow. In between segments, nine foreign acrobats from The 7 Fingers performed feats of strength and dexterity. The acrobats were the idea of Snider, who incorporated them in the previous Bench denim and underwear show, “Under the Stars,” held in 2017.
New designs
The 90-minute show which started promptly at 8 p.m. last Friday featured models and celebrity endorsers wearing some of the brand’s new designs. Underwear ranged from primary colored or bandana printed to black lace or color-blocked. Dark denim jackets, blazers, and jeans were deconstructed and sliced up to showcase lean backs and toned arms.
Accessories designer and frequent Bench collaborator Arnel Papa came up with chokers, lariats, and an assortment of headpieces for the show. Trans models Fuschia Ravenna, Kirk Popiolek, Key Trajano, and drag queen Veruschka Levels were given their chance to shine, while fit moms like Sunshine Cruz, Ina Raymundo, Priscilla Meirelles, Justine Gabionza, and Selena Reyes proved that they could hold their own against the younger models.
Olympic gold medal winner Hidilyn Diaz garnered much applause in a slinky peacock blue gown that she tore away to reveal workout wear from the Bench Active line.
The loudest applause that evening, however, went to the P-pop group SB19, who performed to an audience that broke out in deafening cheers.
Manapat said that when they began brainstorming for “Body of Work” last year, their directive was to celebrate and focus on people who would represent Bench on the runway. To this end, they held castings in Manila and Cebu. In Cebu, they were able to cast people from both Visayas and Mindanao.
Diverse set of models
“We did not have a checklist of body of types; we just based it on personalities so we were able to gather a diverse set of people including models, athletes, mothers, creatives, beauty queens, and people of different heights (from 5’ 2” to 6’ 4”), ages (from 18 to 52), genders, and sizes,” said Manapat before Friday’s show. “We have models who were part of the show 24 years ago who walked alongside new models in their first runway walk. We have a husband and wife, mother and daughter as well.”
When the show ended, Chan was joined onstage by Gomez with wife Lucy Torres, and Dingdong Dantes with wife Marian Rivera, as well as other celebrity endorsers. In his dark suit with gold accents, Chan looked visibly elated, even hugging actor David Licauco and beaming at the audience.
“The show on Friday was a celebration of Bench. It was touching to see everyone from Richard and Lucy and Dingdong and Marian who are eternally part of our Bench family,” Chan said.
“Seeing all the brand ambassadors who grew up with us like Lovi Poe, Kathryn Bernardo, Jake Cuenca, as well as all of the biggest and brightest stars of today in the fields of music like SB19; entertainment like Alden Richards, Joshua Garcia, David Licauco, Janine Gutierrez, Ruru Madrid, Bianca Umali, Sunshine Cruz, and Ina Raymundo; sports like Hidilyn Diaz; and the most promising personalities of the future like siblings Atasha and Andres Muhlach, Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin and Kai Montinola, JM Ibarra and Fyang Smith and Kyle Echarri, together with all the models on that single stage, was a memorable moment,” Chan added.
“They are the body of work.”
