This time, Ben Chan mixes theater + skin + circus

There was fever pitch excitement — even delirium — in the air last Saturday as, in true theatrical fashion, a 10-minute announcement blared over the speakers, signifying the launch of the biggest and most hotly anticipated biennial entertainment and lifestyle event in Philippine retail history: the Bench Denim and Underwear fashion show. This year, the show was entitled simply, “The Naked Truth.”

The announcement came via voiceover, calling to mind the event’s racy and controversial billboards — an event where, every two years, the hottest and most celebrated stars and personalities on screen get cheeky in their skivvies and come out and play. The hashtag (#TheNakedTruth) merited a total of 26,000 Instagram posts from all corners of Mall of Asia Arena as of press time, showcasing everyone from Tom Rodriguez to Ellen Adarna in various states of undress.

But if cultural provocation, celebrity pull, and audience reception were any indication of The Naked Truth’s unprecedented success despite setbacks caused by Typhoon Mario, then it is certainly testament to how Bench, in its many years in the industry, is still very much at the top of its game. And it’s showing no signs of slowing.

I was fortunate enough to have caught previous installments of the biennial denim and underwear fashion show, dating back to 2004. To date, the one that made a lasting impact was “Bench/Understatement” at the Araneta Coliseum. It was my first. But it was also memorable because of the cross-sectioning of cultures that saw the likes of Japanese taiko group Tokyo Degeki Dan and French aerialists Les Farfadais synergizing with our local talent, the former exuding animalistic pulsation and the latter, sensuality and raw eroticism. Interestingly enough, the event was subtitled, “The Naked Truth.”

A decade later, there I was at a different venue about to witness a germ of an idea reach its full apotheosis, a glass box memory retrieved from the shelf and shattered into a million pieces across the brand’s constellation of stars and many achievements over the years. This year, Bench goes back to basics, returning to the fundamentals of the human form. Following the extravaganza of previous installments, Bench top honcho and visionary Ben Chan re-gears the conversation: “It’s about skin. It’s about the body. It’s about the naked soul.”

For “The Naked Truth,” circus makes a comeback (the art form, in recent years, moving away from overt theatricality as championed by the likes of Cirque du Soleil to newer, more streamlined forms that have found renewed vitality in fringe movements around the world). The idea came about after seeing the Broadway musical Pippin in New York.

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Ben tapped the show’s circus creator Gypsy Snider and her Montreal-based company 7 Doigts de la Main to spearhead the creative vision for this year’s show.

In an exclusive interview with STAR, Ben recalls, “I was dazzled by the production of Pippin on Broadway. I thought that the choreography was brilliant and whimsical. We found out that the French-Canadian team Les 7 Doigts was responsible for (the show) and we conferred with them on a possible collaboration with our team and theirs.” It was through this sacred encounter that “The Naked Truth” was born, or rather, reborn.

The visionary chairman and CEO of Suyen Corporation, who I’ve bumped into on several occasions on Broadway, couldn’t have picked a better show to draw inspiration from than Pippin’s Tony Award-winning Broadway remake. The titular character Pippin, in his quest to find his “corner of the sky,” finds himself exploring the full spectrum of his humanity, guided by the mysterious Lead Player and a collective turn towards magical realism. In the end, he finds contentment in a no-frills life with his wife Catherine, one that is outside and away from the circus. It was, for him, very much a moment of rebirth.

NYU-educated production designer Gino Gonzales who has worked with Bench over the years, shares a few minutes before the event: “The show is about cleansing and the removal of layers.” It is about restoring authenticity and sacredness to the human form, and the human spirit. Gypsy Snider adds, “I want the audience to be moved by the performance. I want them to be thrilled by the sexiness of the clothing, as well as by the models and performers wearing the designs. But I also want the show to be a visceral experience. I want people to feel something.” Feel we did as the thousands who were at MoA Arena that evening shared in the collective awe and admiration for the brand over the years. The stars may change but the sparkle of Bench never fades.

From “it” couple Georgina Wilson and Borgy Manotoc opening the show and commanding the curtains to fall upon the circular stage, to Richard Gutierrez and Sarah Lahbati engaging in a passionate lip-lock (a first of many that evening), the crowds roared as celebrities tore up the Bench runway. Ballers Jeric and Jeron Teng, along with Andre Paras, exuded boyish masculinity, dribbling to the show’s pulsating beats (a signature of fashion show director Robby Carmona’s work) while Ellen Adarna, in a white lace creation, was undressed by model-of-the-hour John Spainour and carried across a circular pool — what seemed like corporeal punishment or perhaps, the act of purification?

Actors Markki Stroem, Martin del Rosario and Dominic Roque also elicited screams from the audience in an effort to tantalize and tease with their sculpted abs and toned bodies. Tom Rodriguez and Dennis Trillo a.k.a. TomDen did the same with their almost-kiss, both famous for their star turns in My Husband’s Lover while Coco Martin, though fully clothed, engaged in a real lip-lock with one of the show’s female acrobats. Jake Cuenca bared his derriere one last time on the Bench runway and took it to a whole other level despite the social media backlash. Meanwhile, Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla kept it wholesome as the latter made a flower materialize from underneath his kerchief to give to his partner before the on-screen (and rumored off-screen) couple hugged it out. Talk about teenage dream.

“The Naked Truth” unfolded bombastically through a synthesis of Gypsy Snider’s vision and Noel Manapat’s styling direction, the former bringing in her stable of collaborators in Amsterdam-based Nol van Genuchten for the show’s lighting design and Geodezik for the sleek video scenography, and the latter, Gino Gonzales and fashion show director Robby Carmona.

Visual artist Leeroy New crafted accessories that were used in the segment launching world-class Filipino designer Michael Cinco’s upcoming collaboration with the brand. He shares, “Michael’s segment was themed Temptation / Seduction and a primary motif for his line for Bench was the mythical creature Pegasus. So I worked with that in mind.” It was this outstretched winged form that served as inspiration for the helmets and headpieces donned by the likes of Solenn Heussaff in succubus-like fashion; she had the Semerad twins seemingly under her spell. Solenn likewise stood her ground against the menacing yet masculine Paulo Avelino who elicited some of the loudest cheers from the audience that evening as he manipulated a fleet of models on command.

While “The Naked Truth” veered away from overt theatricality of previous installments, it shifted gears by raising the ante on performances and the cult of personality to synergize keenly with the show’s chosen motifs. Marian Rivera, a vision in her pink ensemble, held a circus ring up for one of the acrobats to dart through in agile fashion while Enchong Dee showcased his athleticism, climbing up one of the poles that bookended the circular stage to the audience’s delight.

Interestingly enough, the stage’s configuration as theater-in-the-round is a type of expression used by most theater outfits engaging in avant-garde work to allow audiences a deeper and more intimate approach to the truth. It is here where all faces and faculties are seen — the literal and proverbial undress amplifying the theater-in-the-round’s deliberate nature. It is also in the round where audiences are one with the show, and the show with its audiences.

From Bench royalty Richard and Lucy Torres-Gomez to world-renowned designer Phillip Lim who Ben met for a second time on his last trip to NYC (“He is a nice person who is very humble and simple. NY Fashion Week just ended and he wanted to recharge. It’s just the right timing,” shares Ben), well-wishers and supporters of the brand realigned their schedules last minute to come in support of the show.

Perhaps Lucy Torres-Gomez put it best: “With Bench, it’s not a business relationship. It’s a family.” And that was clear with the amount of celebrities, models, well-wishers and audiences who adjusted their schedules that evening to keep the visionary’s dream very much alive.

What’s next for Ben? “NYC to recharge!”