The pillow book

1) The book of lovers:

Manila has always had a love affair with Bench since its birth in 1986.Like true love, it conquered obstacles and is still going strong seventeen years after. Today, I hear new sweet whispers of Bench’s seduction. Another invitation to visual pleasure heightened with "Understatements" will overload our senses again this August 18 at the Araneta Coliseum. So, the love affair continues as we all converge to experience Bench once more as they present the new statements for underwear.

2) The book of the virgin:

Preparing for an underwear show is not as easy as it sounds. People often misconstrue nakedness with sexuality or sensuality with nudity. Often sensuality has nothing to do with nudity. It is a state of mind that exudes fiery passions with subtle undertows. That is how Bench is approaching the new images for the show on Wednesday. Without divulging too much, the show’s concept is completely different.

Manila never had an underwear industry the way Bench envisioned it to be. It was a generic industry of basic designs until Ben Chan braved the market with innovative designs and cutting edge visuals that assaulted our senses. He used models whom we all had secret fantasies about and made them realities with his billboards ads. These became the flag bearers of the industry in most, if not all, underwear campaigns to date.

3) The book of seductions:

Seduction comes easy this time around. Bench has in its roster a formidable number of celebrities that will usher in their new designs. From their stables, we can expect Richard Gomez, Wendell Ramos, Rob Duat and Jay-R. Adding to the new list, we will experience Rica Paralejo, Juliana Palermo, and Francine Prieto. From what I gather, Bench has a number of surprise guests who will bare it all that night. And to make things even more interesting, there will be a total of 50 new models parading in their underwear showing off their fine forms.

I have had the opportunity to preview some of the new designs ready to brave the night. The concept of the show has been kept under wraps, but with the right prodding, I was privileged enough to witness the planning of the controversial show. All I can share at this point is that one must come early to witness a fabulous opening and make sure you get good seats. Let the show seduce you to the world Bench has to offer. The night promises to be the event of the year.

4) The book of truths:

To date, Bench has the highest sales of underwear in the history of garment retail in the Philippines. Surprisingly, one of the fastest moving styles in the store is the thong. The alarming, if not interesting trivia however, is that these are for men. Apparently, Bench has tapped the unexplored market of men and their fascination with sexy underwear.

Although women have been a staple market in the industry, they have now become braver and more experimental with their preferences. I am even aware of women purchasing underwear for their men, whose reasons we can only guess and wonder. It is safe, of course, to assume they buy these for their men to wear… or to take off.

The emergence of the stunning visuals that Bench has provided seemed to have demystified sex at some level. It used to be taboo to be seen in your underwear in public. Now it seems being seen in your underwear requires a certain sense of fashion. Thanks to the likes of Calvin Klein and Versace, to name a few, the underwear has now become a part of the whole fashion ensemble. So far, Bench is the only flag bearer the Philippines has that can compete with international standards. With such demands and standards, no wonder Bench now has branches from Shanghai to Dubai.

5) The book of follies:

The show on Wednesday boasts of a powerhouse creative team. Staging will be directed by Ariel Lozada, while concept for styling comes from the fertile mind of Michael Sallientes. The Zen Garden executed by Robert Blancaflor of 1816. Hair and make-up will be done by Patrick Rosas and wigs provided by Bergmann Hair. The event is brought to us by Smart and Addict Mobile.