This fashion season consisted several 'up-and-coming' designers, but there was one who stood out to me. Known for his effervescent pink hair, Chris Benz is quickly making his way through the fashion circuit. I was introduced to Mr. Benz last year at Teen Vogue Fashion University where I learned of his beginnings with J. Crew, which is my current employer.
“You should get involved in anything fashion related if it is what you are passionate about,” Benz advises no matter how miniscule your role may be, it can always lead to something down the road. The Seattle native launched his first line in 2007, leading to features in several magazines such as Vogue and Elle.
This season, there were several shows lacking any kind of story behind them; I did not find this to be true of Chris Benz. His collection was fresh yet dark. His chosen model successfully portrayed his depiction of the show: Zombie Apocalypse. Mysterious with her pale skin and long black hair, the model added to his designs and made for a more interesting show. In short, I would describe his collection as a combination between the movies Now and Then and The Virgin Suicides.
His bright, geometric patterned skirts and floral jackets featured throughout the collection brought one person to mind; Teeny. Teeny was the most fortunate out of all the girls in Now and Then. Her country-club defined parents spent a majority of nights attending cocktail parties, which led to her snooping in her mother’s closet. Throughout the movie, she is seen wearing a mix of styles of her own and her mother's, which combines both youthful-floral along with mature geometrical designs. On the opposite spectrum comes the darker witch-like designs featured by Benz. Wiladene, the diner waitress convinced to be a witch by the town, fits these designs perfectly. Along with the eery long-draping, black-lace gown, Benz adds a panel of light florals to complete the look. He puts his twist on each individual design, allowing others to create his or her own stories.
Several variations of white lace pieces are also featured amongst the black. The light and playfulness of the white lace brings innocence to the collection, like The Virgin Suicides. In this movie, Lux (played by Kirsten Dunst) and her 4 sisters are the innocence of the town. In my opinion, Benz provides a collection with an outfit to represent each of the Lisbon sisters and their similar personalities.
Chris Benz transforms his pieces throughout the collection by portraying vivid colors and patterns to tell a story. Though he had his own theme, it was fun to picture two of my favorite movies mashed into one within his Spring 2013 Ready-to-Wear Collection.
Image Source: http://www.style.com/fashionshows/designerdirectory/CBENZ/seasons/
