With 88,000 Twitter followers and counting, it s safe to say that Chris Benz is a popular guy. At his Spring presentation, the designer announced that he ll be lowering his price point to reach a wider audience, explaining, "I have such a great fan base and wanted to bring everything we love and stand for as a brand to as many of them as possible." The latest lineup will go for less but still offers Benz s signature quirky aesthetic. And in other business news, he also introduced a denim capsule, as well as a collaboration with Cambridge Satchel Company—clearly Benz is firing on all cylinders.
Believe it or not, this season was influenced by the notion of a zombie apocalypse and "people s attraction to the macabre," according to Benz. "I wanted it to be pretty in an off-putting way," he said. That translated to eccentric, layered outfits like a bracelet-sleeve, hexagon-print topper shown over a mixed floral midi-length dress and wide-leg jeans, for example. That s only a mild instance of the power piling going on here. Crumpled polyester trousers, chunky sweaters tied around the waist, and "garish" paillette-crocheted blankets all made frequent appearances. While many of these pieces would work just fine on their own, the more-is-more styling suited Benz s inclusive message—although we wouldn t recommend wearing a dress over a skirt over pants anytime soon.
