The show of limitless proportions packed the biggest Metro venue, the colossal Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, to the brim as early at 6 p.m. Thousands of spectators literally dashed in driven by suspense after seeing billboards lined up all over the city. But clearly, palanggas, nothing prepared them for what they saw next.
Amidst a teasing backdrop of sensual video clips in a gigantic monitor, over a hundred models–professionals, Bench’s freshest faces, and naturellement, celebrities at their boldest–strutted before the excited spectators.
Lights semi-dimmed as 60 or so of the city’s chosen muscular hunks–masked and completely nude except for a bench underwear which they used to cover their huge crown jewels (or their teeny-weenie downfalls, as the case may be)–went on the ramp and posed. Lights brightly shone on the best bodies seen around the metro in eons, palanggas, eliciting defeaning screams and applause from the thousands who came to watch the show of the year.
The spectacle was superbly directed by vanguard fashion show director Ariel Lozada and styled by his cohort, that fashion maverick himself, Michael Salientes.
One Night Only turned out to be two hours of unadulterated, unedited and uncensored style, glamour and sensuality.
Freedom followed form, palanggas, as cutting-edge Overhauled denim returned to the carefree days of the Hippie Era of flower power and sexual liberty, as modeled by VJ Amanda Griffin; young looker John Prats; celebrity son AJ Eigenmann; and fresh faces Mickey Randall, Aubrey Miles and Francis Ricafort. They breezed in wearing painted, embroidered and stylized jeans in no- nonsense colors. Not veering far from the color wheel and moving fast forward to the beat of modern times, hip-hop became the inspiration of the night’s first underwear collection. There were candy colors and delicious beading on truly sexy outifts modeled by studly lover boy Jon Hall and Channel E’s gorgeous playgirl Lana Asanin.
Shunning the eye-candies all of a sudden, dahlings, Bench unveiled its stark black collection, conveying the mystery and sensuality of damned angels. Bench’s original dude, handsome Richard Gomez took center stage and opened the collection in full-feathered arm wings and snug-fit thong, covered only by laced trousers. Next came stunning Assunta de Rossi-Ledesma (?) in a heightened feathered crown and Bench burlesque bustier. It goes without saying that what they saw got the audience completely rowdy, dahlings!
Immaculate, pure and innocent replaced gothic black as white was featured in the next collection. Gorgeous Lucy Torres paraded in all her beautiful divinity in sheer tulle crowned by silver sunburst. Wendell Ramos and Jomari Yllana followed suit, imitating saints while encouraging temptation.
Midsummer Night’s Dream was personified by butterflies, fairies and G-strings as flesh and color met halfway, taking fantasy and fetish for Bench’s fourth underwear collection. Muscular Marc Nelson flapped his wings and his adorned bikini and Aya Medel strutted au naturel, leading a trail of models clad only in stylish bikini bottoms. It was so surreal one couldn’t help but pinch oneself.
The dream shifted to myth, palanggas, as gods and goddesses "ramp-ed" their laurels and sequined underwear for the audiences. Diether Ocampo became the masculine Centaur, coupling hot nymphet Amanda Griffin, leaving no room for mythology; everything was just too real.
As they say, everything spares a last dance, and thus did Antonio Aquitana open the curtain call for the 100-plus models and the night’s superstar, Bench’s brilliant business whiz and marketing genius "Big Man" Ben Chan, no less. Thus ended one night of skin for the brand in Asia that best covers it. Bench, naturellement.
Bench’s One Night Only became a muse of sorts for the people in the business of both fashion and show, dahlings. A stellar sighting of the country’s top fashion honchos, entertainment movers and achievers and Cosmo Manille’s namedroppables occupied the patron seats, all for the love of Bench, and perhaps the streaks of beauty and sensuality that have become its trademark.
The hottest fashion designers Pitoy Moreno; Ben Farrales; Joe Salazar; Jesus "Jojie" Lloren; Rajo Laurel; Rhett Eala; Renee Salud; Randy Ortiz; Gerry Katigbak; Paul Cabral; and Vic Barba; and fashion show directors Joey Espino and Jackie Aquino witnessed the fashion event of the year. Not to be outdone were "Who’s Who" celebrity makers Mother Lily Monteverde; Douglas Quijano; and young Southern new guard, Jojie Dingcong.
Also seen were celebrity twosome, TV’s adorable beauty and brains, Ces Oreña-Drilon and her hubby, renowned artist Rock Drilon; Agot Isidro and Manu Sandejas; searing beauties Dina Bonnevie and Ara Mina; Hans Montenegro; directors/actors Rowell Santiago and Gina Alajar with son Ryan Eigenmann; Studio 23 VJs, Southern gent JM Rodriguez and charmante Cutie del Mar; and Fil-Am superstar Paolo Montalban.
Society’s cover stars graced the catwalk of the country’s hottest and most glamorous fashion party ever: Congressional wives Gina de Venecia and Louie Locsin; international graphic artist Wendy Puyat; topnotch dermatologic surgeon Dr. Vicky Belo; media maverick Atom Henares; literary genius Gilda Cordero-Fernando with art director Manny Chavez; society doyenne Baby Araneta Fores with her gang of society ladies; and always a winner when it comes to fashion and traffic stoppin creativity, Tessa Prieto-Valdes.
Life is indeed a show, which is exactly what Bench had in mind. Bench has applied this to our most basic everyday "costumes" of denim and underwear, transforming them from the conventional to special pieces exuding sensuality, vigor and youthfulness. Summing it all up is Bench’s 15 years of revolutionizing Philippine fashion and retail.
If you missed the heat of Bench’s One Night Only show, Cebu’s popular, one-of-a-kind, colossal Waterfront Hotel also shook with intensity nine from excitement after the showing. But that’s another story altogether which moi will tell you about, sooner than soon, palanggas.
Leave it to the Bench man, brilliant retailer Ben Chan to give us the best of everything.
Be happy, palanggas. Have a nice week-end! See you!