Chris Benz on Assuming the Mantle at Bill Blass (original) (raw)
T Magazine|Chris Benz on Assuming the Mantle at Bill Blass
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/05/t-magazine/chris-benz-bill-blass-interview.html
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The designer Chris Benz was named creative director of Bill Blass last week.
- Nov. 5, 2014
“I was living a kind of pastoral life in Brooklyn,” says the designer Chris Benz of his whereabouts when he got the call to take the reins at Bill Blass. Benz, 32 — whose colorful eponymous line last showed at New York Fashion Week two years ago — has high hopes for the revival of the storied fashion house, which will return to the runways for spring/summer 2016. “I think that Bill Blass has had some ups and downs since Mr. Blass passed away in 2002,” Benz says. “It had a moment to breathe — and an update doesn’t feel rushed.”
Since starting his new job, Benz has delved into the label’s extensive archives and discovered much to play with, including sketches that date back to Blass’s teenage years. “When you think Bill Blass, you think tailoring and tweeds,” he says, “but looking back and actually seeing his work and the clothes — the work entails a lot of beading and sequins, it’s pretty outrageous. I’m excited to build on that.”
Benz also intends to expand upon Blass’s legacy of American sportswear. “Currently, there are a lot of American designers who are trying to emulate European trends — to fulfill women’s desires for feeling international,” Benz says. “I always admired Mr. Blass for remaining steadfast in his love of Americana, and it’s something I’ve always been passionate about.” And, like Blass, Benz balances charm and candor — a combination that lends itself to a solid social-media presence. (Benz, himself, has more than 156,000 Twitter followers.) “I want to let people into the development process, which I think Bill Blass certainly would have done if he were here today,” he says.
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Left: A pair of Bill Blass looks from 1973. Right: the house's founder, who died in 2002.
Beyond that, Benz and his team are planning an e-commerce push, collaborations with up-and-coming designers and established artists, an accessories range and, possibly, a line of home goods. “Mr. Blass knew what it means to have good taste both in your wardrobe and in your lifestyle,” Benz says. “We want to create a new filter for people.”
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