Paris on his mind, passion in his heart

MANILA, Philippines - The best way to see Paris is to go with a fashion expert and art lover as he visits his favorite places in the City of Lights.

We had only two full days in Paris (we spent another two days visiting the Repetto factory in Sorges) but in these 48 hours we experienced some of the best thrills in Paris , thanks to Bench founder Ben Chan  who made us rediscover Paris together with Suyen Corporation president Virgilio Lim, VP Nenita Lim and their son Bryan Lim.

In between stops, we managed to ask Ben about Paris, fashion and his other passions:

PHILIPPINE STAR: What are your memories of your first visit to Paris?

BEN CHAN: I actually lived in Paris for four months, when I was a young, carefree man with very little money and only fun on my mind! I lived in a tiny attic apartment with no elevator on the rue Orfila in the 20th arrondissement.

What do you love best about Paris?

If you want to get inspired by all forms of art — painting, sculpture, design and architecture, Paris is the place to immerse yourself. If shopping is your priority, you can go and explore the well-beaten path for luxury brands like Rue St. Honore, Avenue Montaigne, and Rue Etienne Marcel, or try and discover some new, hidden places. It’s always a welcome pleasure to get lost and discover shops selling rare books, antiquaries, tucked in the narrow streets of Marais and the Latin Quarter.

What is your view about French fashion brands?

Luxury and abundance go hand-in-hand, but when it comes to following brands, the French have earned world-wide respect because of their quality, workmanship and design creativity. Six out of 10 of the world’s most powerful brands come from France. This says much about how the French revere and take pride in their brands or their maisons. I have a high regard for anything “Made in France”.

How influential are French designers in the global fashion milieu?

Chanel, Dior, Gaultier, Givenchy, YSL and LV are some French fashion brands whose creations adorn every celebrity worldwide. Designers know they have power and will continue to use it to influence global trends throughout the eras as their work inspires fast fashion brands to replicate their designs almost instantly.

Who would you consider the top French fashion designers/brands now?

Alber Elbaz of Lanvin and Nicolas Ghesquiere of Balenciaga. The French houses of Hermes and Chanel are also very formidable.

What are your other favorite places in the world and why?

I’ll be honest: I am a retailer so I love any place where the shopping is great!

Seriously, I am drawn to places with a lot of creative energy, like New York’s Broadway or Aoyama, Tokyo. I also particularly like Rio de Janeiro because it reminds me so much of Filipino culture.

Aside from Paris, which cities inspire you most as a retailer?

Number one is New York City. They have the best window displays, the most interesting retail ideas every season, and the city itself is always inspiring for a retailer.

Next is Tokyo, because it is the most fashion-forward city in the world. I think Tokyo is 10 years ahead of everybody, like it’s a different planet of its own.

Finally, London. Its approach to fashion is unique — it doesn’t take fashion too seriously. There’s a sense of humor, a sense of quirkiness, a quaint feeling in the way they do fashion.

When you travel and keep an eye open for brands to bring in to Manila, what are the factors you consider?

Name recall, price points, and global positioning. For a brand to stand out in such a competitive retail environment it has to have a very strong sense of what it is about and its place in the whole scheme of things.

What have been your most successful foreign shops/brands thus far?

Aldo, Mothercare, Charles & Keith, La Senza, and The Face Shop.

What do you think is still missing in the Manila shopping scene?

What’s missing is a thriving tourism industry. I think a large volume of tourists is what keeps the local industries booming. Tourists can make any place more dynamic and bustling.

What is in your wish list now as a retailer?

I would very much like to bring in H&M and Ikea to the Philippines.

What inspires you as a retailer to never stop creating and adding?

Creativity is the gift that keeps giving. The essence of creativity is that it never stops, you have to keep going, keep dreaming, keep creating.

What are your thoughts as Bench turns 25 this year?

It’s in our anniversary tag line: Ageless. We have been around for a quarter of a century, but the brand still feels young, light, fun and carefree. I’d like to think that we are beyond age.

Twenty-five years ago, what was your dream?

My dream was to have one store. One. We only had a tiny corner in SM Department Store when we started out, so it seemed like such a big dream for me to have a store of my own. Now we have more than 800.

What do you consider your biggest achievement?

Bench’s continued presence overseas. We have more than 50 stores now in China, 16 in the Middle East, and three in the USA. We put up our first overseas branch in Kuwait in the mid-1990s, and thankfully, that number has been growing over the years. It cements Bench’s reputation as a true global brand.

What makes you cry or sentimental when you recall Bench’s early years?

Wishing my parents could have seen how it all turned out.