In a season in which designers are distilling their more creative impulses into practical (read: sellable) options for potential shoppers, how does Chris Benz justify the massive rainbow-hued marabou shrug enveloping one of the models at his Spring presentation? "It s time to have fun again with fashion," the designer declared. "I just wanted to make great clothes for going out." In the playful spirit of the Memphis Group, Benz offered a forties-style peplum dress in a giant polka-dot print, separates dripping in dime-sized sequins, and a baseball jacket with matching miniskirt. Hemlines ranged from fingertip-length down to the floor. There were plenty of pencil skirts that would work for daylight hours at the office, but at heart this was a free-spirited collection for gadabout night owls. No, there wasn t something for everyone, but Benz s posse will find plenty to party in.
