How Chris Benz Relaunched Bill Blass for the Digital Age

Bringing back the color! Designer Chris Benz had the tough task of relaunching the Bill Blass brand for the digital age. Working with e-commerce company Orchard Mile, they set a commendable example of how to update a heritage brand for a new generation.

Many name designers who have been brought on board to revamp an established label have fled their employers in the last few years. It is tremendously difficult to find the balance between paying tribute to the brand's history, yet figure what percentage of your own design esthetic to infuse. Also, you're often facing a board of non-creative who have very different ideas.

Orchard Mile founder Georgia says her company wants designers to be designers. Their direct-to-customer model allows them to be that. Designer Benz said that allowed him to create a better edited collection. When designing for wholesale, you're often pressured to create "filler" styles like the "classic black sweater" just to please a buyer who doesn't have the ability to visualize.

Benz described the new Bill Blass as the "cherry on top". The label is repositioning as a contemporary brand rather than designer. The contemporary customer is a jeans gal. The Bill Blass pieces are to be that special statement that piece or accent to the basics. This is the reason that you won't see a black purse or sweater or basic black dress here. 

So what DID Chris Benz pull from the legacy of Bill Blass? It's more in spirit than literal. The 1970s were a great time for the brand (and on trend now). He designed with some of the color palettes from the era. There were lots of fully sequined looks from the archives, so a few pieces have lighter sequin embroidery. I saw a heavy tiered feather jacket in the library. The new Bill Blass had a delicate tiered tulle topper in a similar silhouette.

The big treat was to explore the historic Bill Blass archives. He meticulously filed EVERYTHING. Here are a few of his fashion sketches that date back to World War 2 when he was enlisted as a member of the famous ghost army.

There were leather bound volumes of Vogue magazines dating back to the 1940s. File boxes of correspondence, like letters from Diana Vreeland or even old fabric purchase orders. Of course there were the clothes themselves. I spotted the famous beaded brown suit worn by Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada.

Orchard Mile's online platform allows designera to upload their entire collection since they dont carry inventory, rather than a limited offering a typical e-tailed would have. The showroom though, is a brightly lit space where people like myself can see the goods in person, see the inspiration board and instantly share my favorites on social media. Smart right?

I love seeing the Bill Blass being revived with  such a hot young upgrade. Let other heritage brands take a their cue.

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Chris Benz is EPIC

 Many fashionistas swoon at the costume designs in our favorite movies.  How often are fashion designers inspired by an animated film and vice versa?  Last week, fashion designer Chris Benz sat down with the art director of Epic the Movie, Michael Knapp to discuss their creative process.

Both projects were deeply inspired by nature.  The movie is an animated tale of a teenage girl transported to the magical world of the forest.  The warrior community she meets are very small and are seeing the forest from the viewpoint of the ground looking up, so much of the surroundings were drawn with this in mind.  A lot of thought went into the costumes of the characters, even if they weren't actual clothing that would be worn be live actors.  The costumes were based on textures inspired by materials found in nature or would be suited to whatever creature the character happened to be.  Some great costume design sketches and fashion boards were on display so you could see the aesthetic.

Chris Benz, after meeting up with a publicity person from the film, was also inspired by nature.  After seeing creative ideas for the film, it made him review pieces from his Spring 2013 collection.  He put together a mood board based on the film and rethought a green gown he designed in terms of patterns and color found in nature.

To all the creatives, how does fashion influence your work?  For the fashion designers, how has a film affected your creative process?

Epic the Movie comes out May 24, 2013.

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Chris Benz Fall 2011

The David Rubenstein Atrium was packed beyond capacity on Valentine’s Day.  The occasion was the presentation of Chris Benz’ Fall 2011.  Crowds pushed their way slowly through the exhibit, frustrating photographers and celebrities alike.  Susan Sarandon was spotted swimming with the tide.  Fashion blogger BryanBoy was observing the collection while inexplicably dressed as a lion. 

The clothes themselves were a representation of two of the top trends of the season…Americana and the 1970’s.   The color palette was warm, with a mix of cozy textures.  Wool mixed with leather, some fur and georgette.  Patterns included oversized swinging plaids and hippie florals.  Longer skirts with shorter pants were layered with 70's outerwear silhouettes.  Floppy hats played a big role in accessories.  Shoes were also a standout.  The shoes had funky colors and prints that would contrast the rest of the outfit.  

The muse of this collection was the studio lady of Savannah, Georgia, where Mr. Benz acts mentor.  This was another one of many nerd-chic collections this season  that once again proved brainy is HOT!

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