Bench Fashion Week Day 2: Pr()blem

Jenni Contreras wants you to expect total craziness from this collection and she absolutely delivered when she opened with a model carrying a samurai sword.

With “Afterskool”, a range inspired by sukeban, a term for the Japanese schoolgirl gangsters in the 70s is all about the cross-cultural street flair. It’s a fusion of 90s grunge and 80s punk—exaggerated layers, patchwork, mixed fabrics with heritage prints in full maximalism that transcended the lines of gender. The avant-garde pieces showed off a strong-shouldered fortitude with padded outerwear, satin maxi slip dresses beautifully accompanied by silver chokers and earrings from Contreras’ collaboration with jewelry brand, Equation.

 photos by Kieran Punay of Studio 100