The Bench/Body x Cadet collaboration brought plenty of color and tropical flair to Men’s Fashion Week, with Filipino designer Bench bringing an island aesthetic that really captured a “day at the beach” feel.
That is, if your day at the beach included impeccable looking male models in skin tight underwear and swimwear; while it’s definitely wearable and not outrageous at all, Bench is also not for the modest. Everything here was about color pops, some bright, some muted, and beautiful floral patterns. Theoretically, underwear or swimwear should be simple to present, but Bench really went all out for this, decking the models out with tons of fun accessories from visors to rows and rows of beaded necklaces to flowers in their hair, while some of the looks were finished with robes or oversize button downs.
The inspiration might be Filipino living, and the lookbook was photographed on the beautiful beaches of Anilao, Batangas, but the lush, tropical feel of the clothes is universal. And with this presentation, Bench and Cadet brought a perfect beach oasis to the urban jungle.
-Jason Jaskot
[slideshow]Photo Credit: Jason Jasko
