For his first show, Benjamin Benmoyal wanted to share his passion for weaving, first sending specially made toy handlooms to his 300 guests, a feat that took six months of preparation.
His collection was no less ambitious. It involved the development of 60 different fabrics (previous offerings included five or six different bespoke textiles). “I wanted to take the artisanal element to the maximum, but it is an industrial craft, because we can manufacture and market these fabrics,” he said backstage before the show.
On the runway, many of his voluminous, boxy designs sported the familiar stripes with which he became famous, crafting his fabrics from repurposed audio and video cassettes. These contrasted with striking floral jacquards and tweeds, several of which evolved into a frenzy of colorful fringes, evoking the Berber rugs of Morocco in reference to Benmoyal's heritage and a significant source of inspiration.
From cassette tapes, he wove an innovative snakeskin-like fabric with a shiny sheen, which came as a burnished orange pantsuit suggesting his past life in music, or in black or silver in various looks, many of them with baggy pants under thick pants. textured coats or buttoned dresses with spaghetti straps and flowy chiffon skirts.
Hers were total looks, while she took her passion to the limit. “I thought a lot about my tutor at Central Saint Martins, who encouraged us to develop our obsessions, and my obsession is knitting,” Benmoyal said.
A collaboration with Dr. Martens created footwear options that matched every look, while giant round headpieces were made with hoops radiating threads. That came full circle to his vibrant, festive collection, much of which had a disco feel. The final look, a giant double-hoop dress with a skirt made of hundreds of strands of yarn, was a repeat of her graduate collection.
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