Benjamin Benmoyal AW24

The space for Benjamin Benmoyal's AW24 show was a high ceiling airy open space that reminded me of an artist's studio. There was a large loom right as we entered and after taking a quick look around we noticed a couple of more looms and artisans weaving away on them. Lots of nostalgic old VHS tapes were strewn about amongst brightly colored yarn. This 35 look collection is obviously drawn from nostalgia, both figuratively and literally. Benmoyal's iconic cassette tapes were also woven together with yarns to create his beautiful textiles.

We settled into a near corner seat in the front row and the bench slumps. Coco and I were nervous the entire show that this bench was going to give, but as the show started our worry took a backseat as our focus turned to the runway. A stunning coat emerged. It was purposely unfinished from the waist down to create a dramatic sweeping fringe. Extra long fringed cuffs undulated around the wrist and hand of the model as she sashayed down the runway. The second look featured a top with matching pants and a headpiece adornment that was halo of colorful yarn. Only the top featured the fringe, I'm not sure why the designer did not repeat the idea for the pants as well.

The first two looks were more floral and traditional, reminiscent of a Persian rug. As the show went on the graphics turned a little more geometric and linear, with a bit of impressionistic blurs and some snakeskin looks. Violet and teal vertical stripes... gold, amber and black tie dye looks and violet and teal foggy foiled flower motifs all shared the same runway. The aesthetics looked very artisanal with a little African influence.

I thought the foiled impressionistic flowers were stunning and I especially enjoyed the tapestry coat with the long fringes. I appreciated the way the yarns were presented, it was nice to see them showcased in a way that showed off what they were. The building blocks of an entire collection. I loved the idea of the yarn halo hats and the drama they added to she show. This AW24 collection felt like a mixed media art show. It was exciting to see and be a part of. I wonder what they made on those looms.

For more about Benjamin Benmoyal, click HERE