Philippine Tatler gets the lowdown on the three-day cover shoot of retail king Ben Chan and his brand Bench
This month, we have retail king Ben Chan on the cover in celebration of 30 years of BENCH. In honour of this accomplishment, our November issue is a special three-cover collectors edition that features Ben with people who have made a difference on both him and the brand.
His company has gone beyond retail and moved on to food, furniture, and property. The diversification of his business is a testament to Ben’s perseverance, business acumen, and creativity.
The three-cover edition features the original Bench ambassadors Lucy Torres and Richard Gomez, the most beautiful and famous faces in the Philippine entertainment scene, and Ben's own family.
In this issue, we are elated to present Asia Tatler’s regional feature on the world’s best drives, where the Philippines is represented by furniture designer Kenneth Cobonpue whose unique Cebu home is also featured this month. Also featured are a special report on how the people of Iraq are rising from the ruins of war, and the many treasures of the Bangko Sentral’s exquisitely diverse decorative arts collection.
Behind the Scenes
From any angle, this cover shoot is a master stroke. To celebrate its 30th anniversary as a brand, Bench called in all its stars, neon-lit names and faces in the celebrity world, to come together and be photographed. “Extremely difficult” would even be an understatement.
Just consider the logistics. 25 subjects, 19 of them celebrities with full schedules from two major television networks and six management teams; 22 top celebrity hair and make-up artists; four locations; three weeks to organise; and three days of shooting.
Photography: Mark Nicdao | Digital Imaging: Mark Nicdao and Carlo Sardes of Moo Digital | Styling: David Milan | Location: Bench Tower