Hiding in plain sight. To enter Umit Benan’s laid-back mellow showroom, you had to go through an imposing steel door. Behind it, a getaway from Milan’s chaotic environment—warm, cozy furniture and a little nested courtyard full of greenery that gave way to a discovery of finely tailored garments that complemented the setting perfectly. “We are not quiet luxury,” the designer pointed out. “We have a California attitude visible in the silhouettes paired with an Italian product that’s synonymous with the highest quality.” The winds of change are blowing at Umit Benan; if previous seasons were inspired by precise characters—especially from Latin America—now luxury remains the true fil rouge, with less creativity involved and more bespoke approaches implemented.
“I had completely lost the relationship with the client,” Benan explained of his new focus on building a wardrobe tailored to his shoppers. The relaxed fit remains a relevant trait, but it can now get customized to the wearer: Based on word-of-mouth marketing alone, this service now accounts for almost 60% of his business. That’s part of what brought the designer to open a retail space in the center of Milan, which he hopes to have up and running by next December. The shop will be divided into two different areas. One will be dedicated to selling the seasonal collection, while the other will be an appointment-only studio that will also include bar services and personal styling.
Innovations at Umit Benan include an interest in denim too. “We tried to design a few jeans prototypes, but none of them completely convinced,” Benan revealed. “I am looking for a gap—whether it’s in washes or silhouettes—to be filled in the market.” There was a renewed approach to knitwear as well: By working with one of the five factories in Italy that do circular knitting, Benan introduced jersey characterized by fluidity and lightness without using elastane.
With a color palette of predominantly tomato red and azzurro, inspired by the ’80s, these less saturated tints conveyed airiness and paired perfectly with the designer’s loose silhouettes. The addition of black and white created harmony, while he played with textures that conveyed brightness. Specifically, his use of mixed fibers, like linen mixed with silk or wool, or cotton mixed with silk, which were among the favorites in the collection.
