Photo Arrival :senior collection

Here are a few photos of the garments shot last week from my senior collection. On location photoshoot was a bit challenging... especially when we've got 2 models and only 2 staff (myself & john) in a forest. BUT the photos came out amazing. I feel like john really went and captured the story i wanted to tell through these clothes...

designer: yoko Benedict Okuda

photographer: John Zinonos

models: Ain Parfait & Erin

hair & make-up: Yoko & Ain

concept: This is a story about a girl who runs away from home for whatever reason.. perhaps a evil step-mother. She wonders into a deep deep forest and is now forever lost. She meets a woman who offers her some flowers to cheer her up, but really she was a witch who had been enchanting the forest for hundreds of years. The witch, envious of the lost girl's beauty, placed a spell on those bunches of flowers. So when the girl took them in her arms and placed them to her nose, she fell dead asleep. She slept so soundly on the quiet moss and no forest creature could ever wake her up. Until one day the spell was broken upon the witch's death. It had been over 150 years since she had fallen asleep. The girl wonders again about the forest, looking for somewhere to go, but not looking for her home...

Hand knit collar piece vest (model:ain parfait)

Hand Dyed Collage Nighty Dress (model:ain parfait)

"Straight Jacket" Shirt & Studded Dbl Pocket Pant (model: erin)

Hand Dyed Collage Nighty Dress (model:ain parfait)

"Straight Jacket" Shirt & Studded Dbl Pocket Pant (model: erin)

Cashmere and Suede "Armor" Coat

Leather & Searing Belted Vest (model: erin)

Oscar de la Renta: Resort 2011

I had a chance to attend the Oscar de la Renta Resort 2011 Collection on Monday 7 June. It took place on 63rd street & Park Ave. Went with my good friend J.juliet (she's a great designer/colleague btw).Great Show! A lot of white/navy combinations with splashes of

bright colors: red, orange, kelly green. The fabrication and silhouettes were VERY Oscar-ish. He used a few of floral prints: large on heavier fabrics and small on soft chiffons. There was a "bias tiered ruffle detail" that repeated itself on many looks, which i fell in absolute love with. The accessories used in the show were also very charming. Straw boat hats with ribbons matching the look, baby heels very thin no higher that 2", gold studded accents on white and navy shoes... Overall.. very cute complete nautical looks. even the gowns went down the runway with straw hats! very exciting when you see the designer's inspirations coming to life, after months of work, for a mere 20 minutes.

and of course i forget my camera.. so heres a few from my BBerry.

Newspaper Feature

A Benedict Design was featured on a Japanese Local Newspaper "週刊NY生活" (weekly NY seikatsu) on 8 May 2010 page 17.

The article talks about the competition between FIT and Parsons and my design philosophy and inspirations.

Photoshoot : Senior Collection

when:Today.

where:Local Forest

what:Senior Collection (shirt, pant, dress, scarf-vest, leather-vest, jacket)

who: photographer-john zinonos

models-ain parfait - erin

designer-benedict okuda

concept:Lost in the forest, but I don't want to go home.

photos:Coming soon

candid:Just 2 for now