Western Denim
Western was only the beginning for artist Benjamin Sanchez, designer of the Western Denim line.
To be sure, Sanchez offered plenty of Western-cut shirts and jeans embellished with silver and turquoise studs and Western-themed graphics, including longhorns, stars and lasso-style rope stitching.
But the Los Angeles–based collection, which bowed Oct. 21 at the P.KaBu runway series, also included military-inspired styles such as fitted jackets in olive green and hip-skimming camouflage pants.
Embellishment was the theme that unified the collection. Pieces were printed, embroidered, appliqueacute;d and studded.
For graphics, Sanchez drew inspiration from Mexican imagery, including lush roses and Dia de los Muertos skulls, Native American-style symbols and traditional tattoo designs, as well as Japanese- and Indian-inspired embroideries.
“It’s a mixture of everything—a little bit of Mexican, Asian and Western,” said Sanchez. “Everything comes out of experimenting. Sometimes I’ll have a Japanese fabric on my desk and already I’m thinking about [making it into] a Western shirt.” —Alison A. Nieder
