A white oxford shirt reinterpreted with a diaphanous accordion detail; a monochrome jumpsuit with a cape for an accent; an angular crop top sharpened by geometric details. The crisp, streamlined silhouettes of BENNCH are classic, unassuming and fresh. The brainchild of sister duo Naina and Neha Chaudhary, the brand shows a keen penchant for the art of deconstruction. They take the familiar white shirt or front pleated trouser and turn it on its head. Deconstructing it to its most minimal form, the duo reimagine the elegant silhouettes with a bold, graphic aesthetic. ‘The cyclical appeal of a clothing style is what we want to eliminate. The clothes are minimal and the styles are current but they are not trend-based. Simple yet significant, BENNCH is all about finding the beauty in less. When we talk about Indian fashion we always think of beautifully embellished clothing, flaunting the opulence of our heritage. BENNCH is an attempt to celebrate the alternate spectrum. Deconstructing the classics and bringing back the opulence in mute detailing,’ says Naina.
Growing up in a home where everything from the art on the walls to the frames they were hung in were made by hand, the sisters never found a dearth of opportunity to explore their creative side. While chiseling the idea of BENNCH, they found inspiration in their childhood. The most cherished clothing in our closets were our clothes from our younger years. They were functional, everyday clothes made by a local tailor. It reminded us that at the core of every well-constructed garment lies an elementary idea - simplicity. We knew that’s where we had to begin. Our debut collection has a mix of classics accentuated home-grown prints. The polka drop print has been created using watercolor and was then screen printed on fabrics. We like to think of the clothes as minimalistic artwear. Simplicity and functionality lie at the periphery of our design sensibilities. We have been asked time and again for our ‘value-addition’ as a designer to a particular piece. Maybe de-cluttering is our value addition.’
A canary yellow saree with a polka-dot tassel detail on the pallu, a crisp jumpsuit with an asymmetric hemline - the genius of BENNCH lies in its filtered geometric influences. The designs echo the perfect confluence of fluidity and a razor-edge sharpness. With their debut line flying off the racks, the designer duo are keeping their eyes on the stars. For their next collection they turn to Indian handicrafts for a pinch of inspiration. ‘Age-old Indian handicrafts have a lot of unexplored potential. This year we shall be deconstructing some classic indian embellishments, impressing simplicity and minimalism in them as well.’ We can’t help but get excited.
Take a look at their collection here.
Text Ritupriya Basu