September is often recognized globally as fashion month, with the world’s gaze turned to the western side of the globe as major houses present their visions for the forthcoming spring-summer season. But in the Philippines, one of the hallmark events Manila’s style set looks forward to is the...
For years, Bench Fashion Week (BFW) has not only been a hotspot for must-wear styles, but it has also become a platform for budding fashion creatives and brands to reach the next level, and for seasoned designers to present their latest collections. That mission continued in its latest edition,...
In a previous article in Manila Bulletin , I wrote that the eyes of lifestyle arbiter Chito Vijandre, along with those of his longtime creative and life partner Ricky Toledo, “are a window to the world in all its magnificence and splendor, through eras and epochs.” Chito Vijandre The...
In a time when everyone is jumping on the latest trends, adapting to the newest core crazes, and trying their hand at Hollywood’s method dressing, the designers of Bench Fashion Week (BFW) Holiday 2024 have proved that the best style moments always have a personal story. For years, the runway of...
When we look back at old movies and stories, it’s amusing to see how creatives of the time envisioned our world in the 21st century. Many thought that the 2000s would mark a new space age, where humans would have established colonies in outer space as seen in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space...
The category is… life in color. That’s what fashion designer Michael Leyva’s show is all about during the final day of Bench Fashion Week (BFW) spring-summer 2023. To hype up everyone for the fashion festivity that’s about to unravel on the runway, the show started with the house tunes of...
Championing Filipino style has always been at the core of Ched Studio. With its artisanal design approach, the local fashion brand has produced collections that marry arts, history, and pop culture references with Filipino craftsmanship. This time, it presents its latest collection at Bench Fashion...
In Dr. Jose Rizal’s “El Filibusterismo,” we discovered the transformation of Crisostomo Ibarra, from a charming son of a businessman into a revengeful jeweler Simoun. If Rizal’s first novel “Noli Me Tangere” was centered on romance, its sequel “El Filibusterismo” was all about...
After presenting his collection at Bench Design Awards 2017 and Ternocon 2020, Filipino fashion designer Jaggy Glarino returns to the runway of the Filipino clothing giant as he presents his most personal collection yet. For his “Core Memory” collection at Bench Fashion Week (BFW)...
Life is all about sharing meaningful moments with the ones we love dearly. It goes beyond the familial bond we have, it involves the strangers we meet, and later on, become friends with. But the thing is, as we grow up and go on to discover what life has to offer, it is inevitable to part ways with...
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,...
