It was like a reunion of sorts. Seeing colleagues dressed to the nines, preened to perfection, even if its just for a virtual outing, Bench Fashion Week (BFW) Virtual feels like familiar territory last Friday, Nov. 27. There were Margie Moran, Steven Tan, Mayor Francis and Keri Zamora, Randy Ortiz, Rey Lanada, Tweetie de Leon Gonzales, Dennis Lustico, Peewee Reyes Isidro, Alex Vergara, and many more, with Anton San Diego and Michelle Dee as virtual event hosts.
A fixture during show seasons, Bench Fashion Week is a must-attend occasion hosting powerhouse designers, A-list celebrities, and longtime friends from the fashion, beauty, and creative industries. Truly a gathering orchestrated in perfect harmony by the man behind the brand, Ben Chan, BFW Virtual is the retail giant’s big first leap into the digital presentation atmosphere.
“Good evening everyone, and welcome. I hope you all are safe home and very happy to see everyone here celebrating Filipino fashion in a very different setup,” Chan greets. “I hope you enjoy what we have experienced from the usual twice a year Bench Fashion Week. We will be presenting short fashion films, not your usual runway videos, because we always wanted to show you something fresh. Now, we bring you a new way of watching our collection. You're welcome. Thank you for joining us today, and enjoy the show. Thank you all very much. I appreciate you being here today.”
"We decided to create the digital fashion show in lieu of the in-person event because in times like this, we need to bring something new, something fresh in new avenues that people have access to. We can still gather with our guests, albeit online, to celebrate fashion. We decided to create this new iteration of Bench Fashion Week on a digital platform to signal that we are still here, we are ready andrunning, we can serve your needs in style," the Bench Team says on a statement.
The Digital Watch party featured four presentations: Human with its holiday 2020 Androgyny collection, Kashieca headlined by actress Bea Alonzo, Bench's playful preppy and streetwear, and this year’s guest featured designer Tomi Koizumi’s terno.