I didn’t know what to expect upon attending the Bench 30th anniversary show last night. In previous years, it’s always been a collective freak-out from fans as they watched their favorite celebrities walk down in their underwear. This year wasn’t different. Who could blame them? It’s not every day you see Solenn Heussaff working a runway or Julia Barretto flaunting her abs. And before, people looked forward to seeing Jake Cuenca and Wendell Ramos wearing a thong. This time, it was Markki Stoem.
But this was no ordinary fashion show. When you have a local brand like Bench, which has been around for quite a while, you’re going to have to step it up. Especially since they stopped doing this show yearly.
It started off with a re-telling of Bench’s early days, complete with re-editions of their denim and underwear lines worn by the likes of Gabbi Garcia, Ruru Madrid, and Iñigo Pascual. Acrobats also hyped up the crowd, and almost gave us heart attacks, with their ballsy stunts.
It then moved on to more retro-themed looks complete with high-waisted bikinis, pin-up curls, and colorful beach parasols. Maine Mendoza and Maxine Medina led the pack as dancers accompanied their walks.
More acrobatic stunts from circus group The 7 Fingers greeted the modern portion of the show. Of course, other big names came out as the night progressed. The crowd went wild because of past and present heartthrobs like Richard Gutierrez, Kathryn Bernardo, Enrique Gil, and Daniel Padilla. If only Richard Gomez (AKA, the OG Bench model) was part of the show too.
The show concluded with more sensual pieces from Kim Domingo’s black lingerie to Lovi Poe’s bright yellow number. “Hottest Math Teacher” Pietro Boselli also ended the show on a high note.
Surprisingly, Under the Stars didn’t just catch my attention to the stripped-down celebrities. The memorable moments were mostly how they interacted with the crowd. There were the usual cheesy kilig moments between the real-life couples, but hey, they seemed to love every bit of it. The theatrics of the night were well-appreciated too.
Missed the show or everyone’s live-tweets? Go click through our slideshow right now.
Photos by Dar San Agustin
Follow Preen on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Viber
Related stories:
Did Ellen Adarna Skip This Major Fashion Show Because of Her Pregnancy?
Pietro Boselli Wants You to Stop Viewing Smart People as Boring
Bench Names Brooklyn Beckham As This Year’s Global Benchsetter
Surprise! Cole Sprouse Is Bench’s New Endorser
