You may have heard the news Chris Benz was named the new creative director for Bill Blass, so we decided to take a look back at this young fashion designer’s career… so far!
Chris Benz was born in 1982 in Seattle, Washington and growing up in the early 90s, he spent time in his grandmother’s attic, sorting through antique jewelry and 1950s dolls. He was only 17 when he went to New York to study at Parsons School of Design and gained early recognition when he was honored with the coveted “Emerging Designer Award” from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Benz interned with Marc Jacobs in college and graduated in 2014. He worked for J.Crew before launching his eponymous collection in 2007 drawing inspiration from his love of architecture, culture and art. Benz was inducted into the CFDA in 2009 and continued designing collections under his own name through Spring 2013. His design aesthetic includes a strong use of color, texture and prints, as well as subversion of traditional dressmaking codes and techniques.
Benz is also a regular fashion columnist for Fashionista.com and has appeared on numerous television shows, including Bravo’s “The Fashion Show: Ultimate Collection.” In 2013, he helped design character costumes for the animated movie EPIC and created clothes for the 2012 Barbie for President doll in the “I Can Be…” line. Chris collaborated with Lancôme to design the “Chris and Tell” Lipstick, eyewear company Moscot to create a line of frames, London Fog in 2014 to create a rain coat and has partnered with Redken.
Chris Benz has recently partnered with Bill Blass and is now the creative director, effective immediately. Will Benz become a new “King of Fashion”? We think he certainly shows a similar spirit as that of Bill Blass and hope he makes his mark on the brand.
Visit chris-benz.com
– Sia’ Richards
Source: Wikipedia. org, Imbd.com
Photos: Nymag.com
