Beach Bound Benah

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Did I already say a gazillion times before that some of the best things about Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Australia back in the beginning of May, were happening outside of the main venue?  Well, there it is again.  In the case of accessories label Benah, designed by Brenda Harvey, I only had to go a few floors below my hotel room in the Shangri-La to check out the new A/W 12-3 collection "Sun Shadows".  Benah first caught my attention during my first trip to Sydney where their bags were just beginning to blossom and silk scarves were the main focus.  Fast forward to present and Brenda has established a few style of bags and accessories that are well on their way to becoming known by style name – the Kodi bag for one which admittedly bears similar traits to Celine's classic box bags, namely that stark and rectangular metal clasp.  For me, I've been loving the Alex iPad cases, doubling up as clutches because as yet, I STILL don't have an iPad.  They hold invites, the debit card/keys/phone trio and you can get a good grip on them with that lower strap.  I finally got to meet Brenda to tell her that I'll never actually put an iPad in the Alex cases.  Hopefully she understands.  

The latest collection "Sun Shadows" is an ode to the beach mixed with Carl Jung's "Shadow Theory".  An unlikely combination but the graphic lines of parasols casting shadows on a beach and the idea that we have both light and dark in our personalities come together in an ever-expanding range of silk scarves, clutches, shoulder bags, totes and cuffs.  There are new styles coming into the Benah fold and the colours comprise mainly of the stable duo of navy and burgandy – a reliable palette that is seasonless, something that apparently Brenda has been trying to address in her collections.  Deckchair stripes, cracked silver leather and woven jute lighten things up a bit as well as the bleached-out focal beach print, which I was immediately drawn to when I saw the collection back in May.  Benah's on the up as a mid-range accessories label, with an increasing number of stockists.  This enlarged, but still well-edited collection should send Benah on its way to more people getting to know the likes of Kodi, Alex and Tara. 

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22 comments

  9. This collection is so simple is hurts a little, the hardware and details are fantastic. What piece did you get?

  12. I just had one of those *gasp* moments when you see something you just have to have. I want that cuff!! Someone is going over to Benah to by herself a present!

  14. love the preppy bag and blanket. these days, i embrace – cherish even – my preppy ass upbringing even though i did my best when i was a teenager to rebel against it.

  19. Wow! Thanks for sharing. I have yet to share it with my clients too! I think I will be reading here from now on!

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