He calls himself "the prince of color" a play on the "prince of darkness" obviously. Quirky, cool and fun designer Chris Benz doesn't do silly clothes though. Raised in Seattle with an ability to translate what he sees into well-crafted sportswear, Benz has been showing his own original take on women's clothing since he started out on his own. He's only been showing since 2007, but his collections were revealed with critical acclaim. Still not a household name, it doesn't seem to matter to his following who demand something different from their everyday clothes.
Colors: White, black, orange, yellow, green and blue
Materials: Silks, cotton blends, beading.
Loved Looks:
This collection was fun and full of color but as always with Chris Benz, its not to the level of absurdity. Hes one of the few originals in American sportswear showing at New York Fashion Week because its anything but boring. I loved the Alejandro Ingelmo collaboration cute sneakers paired with skirts. For those of us on fashion shoots and are our feet all day (and I'm sure other working fashionable city girls) any promotion of comfortable footwear is welcome. Its hard to pull of a massive mix of graphic prints and bold color, but its done right with the circle black and white pencil skirt and the color pop blouse. A mixed print kimono style dress can go day to evening soiree easily. Baggy pants with a orange stripe shirt and sneakers work for that casual, but stylish girl.
Unloved Looks:
Not "unloved" per say, but I don't know how to feel about the all beaded kelly green jacket and skirt. My first thought or word association was "Astro-turf." If he would've glued a gold ball on it, it may have ended up on Lady Gaga. It still might, actually.
People, Music and Scene:
On the other side of Lincoln Center, in Avery Fischer Hall models lined up in the hallway close to the balcony overlooking the rest of the locale. The DJ in the corner was spinning tunes I recognized as being of that Warholain Factory vibe. Lou Reed's Vicious and Peter Sarstedt's Where do you Go To played while models stood still on crates. I didn't see Chris Benz with his pink hair lurking anywhere, but there were a few recognizable faces. Johnny Wier (who I later saw get bum-rushed by a woman while he was entering the tents --"I love you. You're my favorite skater" she said. TV personality and design pro Nate Berkus, Kelly Osborne, Jordin Sparks all came to lend their support. I caught a few socialites and editors as well. A nice low key presentation besides the celeb-hawkers, most enjoyed the bar on the balcony.
Four out of four Karl Lagerfelds
