Benjamin Benmoyal is pressing reset. Minus his first name, with a new, more commercial brand identity in the advanced contemporary segment, and with new financial backers (he retains a majority stake in his business), it was time for reinvention.
Gone were the fabrics made from repurposed cassette tapes that have been his leitmotif since the beginning, as well as many of the references to his Moroccan origins, bar a skull cap here and there. A sustainable stance still underpins the collection, however, with most of the fabrics sourced from deadstock.
The new Benmoyal, with a revamped script logo patched on here and there, is targeting women in their 20s, vintage lovers who combine pieces from their grandmother’s wardrobe with sporty streetwear styles.
This was full-on girly-girl, dominated by pale pink and lilac. Cropped tweed jackets had glittery buttons, while coats were done in upholstery-like pink brocade or pale violet herringbone wool. Long cardigans and wide-fringed scarves were worked with rose patterns done in cross-stitch, and there were buttoned-up, openwork crochet cardigans with heart motifs.
Such vintage-style pieces were paired with jogging pants in baby pink with lace details, wide jeans with floral embroideries down the sides and denim printed with an old-fashioned wallpaper print.
The surprising shift — for those who have been following him since the early days — has already won over buyers, he said during his presentation, and was testament to Benmoyal’s business acumen and determination to move with the times when so many emerging designers are struggling. Based on January appointments during pre-collections, orders are up fivefold, he said. His presentation took place at the new Run showroom, an initiative from trade show organizer WSN in partnership with ANDAM.
Also new, debuting this fall and intended to create buzz, is a capsule with heritage jacket maker Schott featuring tweed and embroidered versions of its signature bombers and varsity jackets.
