What does it take to be on Ben Chan’s fashion radar?
What does it take to be handpicked for a spot at a Bench Fashion Week show?According to Bench founder and Suyen Corp. chair and CEO Ben Chan, it always all boils down to the same question: Whose collection do we wish to see on the stage?
As an avid supporter of Filipino fashion through its design competitions like Bench Design Awards and TernoCon, as well as partnerships with designer galas like the Red Charity, Bench is exposed to both the most exciting young visionaries and the most established names in local fashion, Chan said, adding that they are in constant conversation with fashion editors and creative leaders who are always looking for new voices and new visions.
New names
For example, Chan said they have been following the careers of Nicolo’s Nicolo Perez and Le Ngok’s Carla Zhang, and thought it was the right time to turn the spotlight on these exciting new names.
Perez took to vintage botanical drawings for inspiration for his collection, featuring orchid and anthurium appliqués on his breezy menswear. He also channeled the curves of the flowers into other details, like the pockets.
The young designer played with contrasts, pitting hard against soft, solid against sheer.
Zhang aptly described her brand as mixed media wear as watching her runway show was like watching arts and craft dance across the room.
Incorporating her other interests like macramé, weaving and digital and 3D printing into her designs, the artist told the story of her experience with anxiety.
“The first part is confusion,” she told Lifestyle, recalling how she initially didn’t know she was having symptoms of anxiety. “I had insomnia, stomach problems. and it was sometimes hard to breathe. I would have an anxiety attack, but I didn’t even know it was an anxiety attack.”
The second part is her learning more about her condition by going through several checkups. “But the more I discover, the more I feel helpless.”
When she finally realized she had a mental health problem, it felt to her like she was going in circles—sometimes it’s bad, sometimes it’s good. “I didn’t know how to deal with it, but I was starting to get better.”
The last part was about embracing it.
Her journey was shown through her colorful and intricate work, featuring tangled-up cords at the beginning that would later take on a more concrete form in another garment. One piece bore her prescriptions and X-ray from her visits to the doctor, and a coat of pills represented how much medicine she had to take and how helpless she felt doing so.
From model to designer
Bench Fashion Week Spring-Summer 2024 (BFWSS24) became a graduation of sorts for Jo Ann Bitagcol, who also debuted on the runway as a fashion designer, and TernoCon 3 Pura Escurdia awardee Gabbie Sarenas. Both took up pattern making at F.A.B. Creatives last year under Jojie Lloren.
People have known Bitagcol as a model, having been in the fashion industry for 25 years and still walking the runway for major shows. This time, however, she has graduated from flaunting a collection’s finale to being the finale-finale as the fashion designer.
“I was surprised when Sir Ben told me last year that I’d be one of the designers for this year’s fashion week,” said Bitagcol. “I panicked, but felt honored to have been selected. I told myself to just trust and believe that I could deliver.”
But it seemed like an easy decision for Chan, as the model-turned-photographer has become a favorite at their other partnership project, Katutubo Pop-up Market. “With her range of accessories and pieces inspired by her photos of local costumes, we had to convince her to take the leap as a full-fledged fashion designer by presenting a collection.”
What she learned throughout her modeling career is it’s important to have your own voice and style, and indeed she has found hers.
Bitagcol started her eponymous brand in 2020 with clothes that feature her photography, piña fabrics and beadwork.
Her comfortable, wearable style knows no age, gender or body type. “I want everyone to have a piece of our culture.”
Romantic storytelling
Sarenas walked out onto the stage during Day 1’s finale to the tune of Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy.” For her, her runway show at the BFWSS24 was like an answer to an earlier show where she came out to Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Every Now and Then,” which spoke of yearning as she longed to be her best self.
This time, Sarenas felt like she was living her best fantasy.
Inspired by very Filipino things like the tender “Hihintayin Kita sa Langit” movie and the sampaguita flower, Sarenas creates looks from delicate piña that can be worn by different body types as well as piled on a range of other garments, transforming a look from casual to ceremonial.
“I love, love that film,” Sarenas said. For her, the Richard Gomez-Dawn Zulueta starrer is very classic Filipino: the plot, the lines, the nuances, and especially the postcard-perfect cinematography by the late Romy Vitug.
Similarly, Sarenas likes the sampaguita because of its very Pinoy-ness. “It’s not expensive, you can see it everywhere. It’s not a flower that’s snooty; it’s something that can be for the masses, and yet for different types of classes,” she said. “And I like the way it smells. It’s not strong, it’s very fresh. Amoy Filipino s’ya.”
In fact, her designs are quite reminiscent of the diminutive flower in its quiet loveliness.
“Her romantic storytelling told through delicate embellishments, local fabrics and handmade details is a sight to behold,” said Chan.
Samson and Eala
Renowned fashion designers Rhett Eala and Joey Samson also graced the BFWSS24 runway.
In his second collaboration with Kashieca, Eala continued to create sweetly sophisticated occasion wear that fits the gracefully feminine clothing brand using a lot of brocade, cotton and sequined fabrics. The ease with which the designer lends his DNA to the label makes it seem like it really was a match made in pretty party-dress heaven.
This season marks Samson’s sophomore show for Bench Fashion Week. Recently, Samson also presented his collection at Tokyo Fashion Week through the Bench TernoCon project. Chan shared that the TernoCon 3 mentor also presented his collections in Singapore and Malaysia.
This time, Samson’s collection is inspired by Barocco (or oddly shaped garments) dipped in solemn beiges and tans and khakis and whites, with the occasional shimmer of a metallic.
True enough, his looks flip whatever notion of clothing anyone has ever had, playing with form and functionality. Sleeves seem arbitrary and boundaries between inner and outerwear get blurred as silhouettes take a peculiar turn. And yet—and yet—Samson’s clothes still somehow comes out entrancingly, breathtakingly beautiful. INQ
