Fashion

Reworked Classics And Fresh Perspectives: Bon Hansen, Ched Studio, and Rhett Eala’s Spring Summer 2023 Collections

Photo by Excel Palanque

A recap of the second day of Bench Fashion Week.

Fashion is back in full force for the second in-person Bench Fashion Week since the pandemic. For day two of the stylish weekend, showgoers were treated to the collections of three prominent Filipino designers: Bon Hansen, Ched Studio, and Rhett Eala for Kashieca.

Held at the One Bench Tower in Bonifacio Global City, Saturday’s shows gathered together top names and personalities in the industry like scenographer and author Gino Gonzales, host Tweetie de Leon-Gonzales, actor Kate Valdes, photographer Jo Ann Bitagcol, and many others.


Bon Hansen

The event kicked off with Rizal-born designer Bon Hansen, fresh from his two-look finalist collection at the third edition of Ternocon. According to the designer, who also works as a menswear instructor at the Fashion Institute of the Philippines, this season’s capsule was based on Simoun, the main character of one of Jose Rizal’s seminal novels.

“We wanted to focus on the main character in El Filibusterismo, which focuses on his character’s strong rebel nature. At the same time, the novel kasi is dark and full of revenge.”

The collection featured Hansen’s signature deconstructed tailored pieces, accented by the model’s crisp, classically dapper hair, or as the designer calls it, the “Jose Rizal look.”


Ched Studio

Following Hansen was Ched Studio’s capsule collection headed by Christian Edward Dalagoag. The lineup was centered on the idea of “grounded optimism,” featuring his signature modern-casual barongs and other “greatest hits” as the brand’s way of expressing gratitude to its customers.

The barongs were paired with shimmering bottoms that point to 1970s silhouettes and styles. This ties up to the chosen song for the runway, which Dalagoag tells us is an important aspect that ties the collection together and can only be experienced in totality watching the show.


Rhett Eala

Capping off the occasion was Rhett Eala’s collection for the brand Kashieca as its new creative director. The seasoned designer, who has had over three decades of experience in the industry, explained late last year that he would be returning his focus to ready-to-wear, which he says started it all.

His collection featured a fresh lineup of easy yet dressed-up summer ensembles. “Since I’m the new creative director of Kashieca, we wanted to relaunch it,” Eala elaborates. “I wanted to still keep the feminine aesthetic, but a bit dressier, and a bit more sexy.

“It’s not sexy in a way that it’s plunging or backless, but it’s more [about] transparency, the silhouette, and the way the fabrics move.”

The designer completed the model’s looks by adding a mod touch to their makeup, which featured a sleek cat eye with a metallic shadow underneath.

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