This year’s Bench Fashion Week started off strong with a promising peek at the brand’s Holiday Collection. Cotton On’s fun, youthful pieces, Kashieca’s depiction of the modern woman, Human’s celebration of this generation’s uniqueness, and Human by Proudrace’s eclectic representation of the bold youth, all made for a very interesting show. But the star of the night was Ivarluski Aseron’s exclusive collection. Read on to see the highlights of the night.
Cotton On
Cotton on’s newest collection is all about denim—paperbag waists, statement stitches, raw hems, you name it. Along with playful print tops and bodysuits in bright, fun colors, Cotton On’s Holiday collection effectively captures the bold, electric energy of the youth.
Kashieca
This year’s Holiday collection of Kashieca marries the modern woman’s minimalist sensibilities with her strong sense of adventure. The Parisian chic dresses and frilly tops were simple yet still manage to make a statement.
Human
Human’s 2018 Holiday collection features classic street and sportswear style like graphic tees, cropped jackets, and frayed denim. Their bright sweaters, retro graphic shirts, and multi-textured denim are a personal favorite.
Human by Proudrace
Elevating basic fashion pieces, Human by Proudrace highlights the eclectic identity of the youth. Their deconstructed sweaters, eclectic print tees, multifunctional jackets and sweats ooze character yet can still be incorporated in your everyday wardrobe.
Ivarluski Aseron
The renowned designer delivered yet another explosive show for the senses, this time, bordering on the eerie. Moving to the beat of a haunting track, the models started off slowly, almost teasingly, before getting grounded on a more steady pace. The collection, which Ivar calls Off-Center is a challenge to the ordinary. “Not literally off-center. but deviating from the normal,” he shared.
In his artistic rendition of the deviant, the runway became a sea of black, white and gray. Interestingly, he revealed he originally wanted more colors in mind. “Before I started doing this collection, I was thinking of colors. I was getting you know, swatches, [but then] it turned out differently.” He said that over the process, he realized he wanted to stick to the sleek, classic colors. His unique, architecturally structured pieces, silhouettes, and hefty play on texture kept the whole collection interesting despite the basic colors.
He said, for him, off-center also meant “doing different techniques in different manners.” Ultimately, for this collection, he wanted to be more experimental. There were pieces he noted that were particularly hard. The weave, wherein he employed a novel counter-pleat technique he said may seem easy but was actually the hardest to do. “It’s something that looks simple but is so difficult to align. The first time we experimented on that, it took four days.” He also experimented with different materials and fabrics, most of which he got from Hong Kong.
“The challenge is to make a collection that’s better than the last collection.” For a man who continuously amazes, it might seem almost impossible, or at least an overwhelming task to outdo himself, but he did it. Yet again, the man delivered—and judging from this collection, it’s safe to say he will continue to do so.
See more of Ivar’s collection in the slideshow above!
Photos by Samantha Ong
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