A case for cool collaborations
They say if you’re fashion-starved and are hungry for what’s up and coming, look to the streets and look for the artists. At Bench Fashion Week’s holiday 2023 show, top casual lifestyle brands did just that, showcasing everyday clothing with a dose of spunk, freshness, and color splashed onto the clothes (literally and figuratively) by the creatives and the artists behind the collections.
With the evening cityscape as its backdrop, South Korean brand MLB (or Major League Baseball) unleashed sporty, off-duty staples that prioritized comfort and style for when work is done and it’s time to have fun.
Taking in the freeing feeling of going on roadtrips on a perfect day, American Eagle Outfitters presented ‘fits that imbibed exactly that — clothes for spontaneity, dreams, the heat, the wind and the sun, for good times and good company.
Then there was Secret Fresh, a concept brand by streetwear icon Christian “Bigboy” Cheng, known for his multi-passions that include toys for the big boys, modern art, pop culture, and who knows what else. In this case, his clothes represent the mishmash of references that fill his studio.
Up next was Rik Rasos of Proudrace, who is back with another collaboration called Human Manga. Inspired by the Japanese-style comic books, the models who looked nothing short of cool wore baby tees in graphic Japanese prints, patchwork denim and corduroy bottoms, capes and drapes that reached the floor, and a whole lot of denim fashioned into a variety of street-ready pieces. In sum, it was energetic, youthful, otherworldly, fun, and crazy-sexy-cute in a manga character kind of way.
Closing the season is the Bench x Bitto collection, titled “B2K” for Bitto and Y2K. The millennial artist and designer created a “Bittoverse,” with a casual collection that’s action-packed with cyberpunk and Y2K-laden video game elements, transient graphic art, hypnotic patterns, funky characters, and the vibrancy of streetwear fashion.
While giving in to nostalgia, it’s clear how Bitto pays attention to the emerging trends of today, and takes everyday fashion to where it can be in the future with B2K.
