Bench 30th Anniversary Show ‘Under the Stars’ by the numbers
Julia Barretto
Look at this detail,” Ben Chan says, holding up a Bench Body men’s undergarment — a yet-to-be-unveiled piece made especially for the Bench 30th Anniversary Show “Under the Stars” to be staged tomorrow in Mall of Asia Arena. Not a gargantuan headpiece, not a whip (in reference to the controversial “The Naked Truth” show in 2014), none of the stuff of spectacle that the biennial show is synonymous with. Ben points to its garter, which has been split into two prints. The front is emblazoned with the signature logo, the back with florals. “This piece alone is a preview of what’s soon to come.”
The theme could be interpreted as a metaphor for glittering heavenly celebrity bodies in all their intimate wear glory, but it also applies to the human capacity to realize our dreams — after all, that’s how it all began, even for Chan, whose empire grew from a line of basics that sold out like hotcakes in a department store stall.
The retail leader skipped staging a show last year to make way for its 30th anniversary. As it returns tomorrow, expect pop culture references and a heart-warming trip down memory lane with the brand that we pretty much grew up with.
And don’t forget to check out the clothes.
Bench head stylist Noel Manapat is aware of the extravagant expectations. “Lots of spectacular pieces and costumes and things are just getting bigger and bigger and we thought the mood of the times dictates otherwise,” he says. “If you see the trends internationally from fashion runways down to music and pop culture, even Lady Gaga has tamed down. We will be presenting a more relatable style, more street, because we feel that is the look of now.
“We will still be collaborating with the country’s best designers and craftsmen, but we are using a lot more from our own design team.”
He emphasizes, “In previous shows we had all sorts of gimmicks. We wanted to treat this as a fashion show, so it’s more of a runway kind of presentation but of course with some unexpected entrances and exits because, after all, this is a one-hour show. You can’t make people walk forward and back for an hour,” he hints. For this, Montreal-based Tony Award-winning choreographer Gypsy Snider will be on board.
Some more stats:
• 110 models
Including three international models on their first Manila show — all in Bench Body. Expect to see the “world’s hottest math teacher,” Pietro Boselli, top models Ivo Buchta and Trevor Signorino.
• 48 local celebrities
Alongside favorites Lovi Poe, Solenn Heussaff, Kathniel, Richard Gutierrez and Paulo Avelino, tomorrow’s show also marks the first underwear show for young ’uns Albie Casino, Marco Gumabao, Addy Raj, David Licauco, Kiko Estrada, Bruno Gabriel, athletes like MMA fighter Mark Streigl and a comeback for the Philippine Volcanoes.
• More than 10 beauty queens
It’ll be Reina Hispanoamerica 2017 Wynwyn Marquez’s first homecoming show.
• 1 Tony Award-winning choreographer
“When you turn 30, you get to look at who you were in the past and where you’re going in the future. For me, it was important to understand this maturity and change. Ben has a great love for his people so this is really a celebration of the Bench community,” Gypsy Snider says in revealing her process. Snider is known as the circus creator of Pippin, the production that made Chan decide to bring her onboard for this milestone. “(The concept) places Bench in the universe, a magical world that is expansive and gorgeous so we created visual content for the show with the stars as an adventure, dreaming of what the future can be, a contrast of the old and the new, the romance of it all.” She will be working closely with Saga’s Robby Carmona.
• 7 performers
“Expect lots of athletic movement, high-level acrobatics. It’s a celebration of the body. We capture the movement of the world that we’re creating,” says Snider, who brought in gymnasts from Germany, performers from Montreal and the United States, and worked with some of our very own ballet dancers. “Expect to hold your breath!”
• 3 months
The shortest amount of prep time ever for a Bench Body show, “what with Bench Fashion Week and Tokyo Fashion Week happening,” Manapat says. Preparations usually begin as early as January.
• 300 looks
• 5 segments
Bench’s 30 years in the industry retold in five chapters. Chan sums up, “It’s about Bench’s past, the present, and the future.”
• 10 fashion designers
Including RJ Santos, Dennis Celestial, Jaggy Glarino, Joey Samson, Jerome Lorico, Banggo Niu, Ricky Vicencio, Yves Camingue, Bea Samson.
• 15 hairstylists and 15 makeup artists from Toni & Guy
Headed by Toni&Guy Philippines artistic director Nelson Cruz, who reveals at least one vat of glitter will be available backstage for models to step into for full-on shimmering looks.
• 12 minutes
The time it takes for models to switch between looks, according to Cruz. “It’s so chaotic — it’s a challenge! But that’s what we like about it.”
