MANILA, Philippines - On her third visit to the City of Light, Patty Laurel, a renowned travel blogger, fashion enthusiast and TV personality, manages to clearly define the Parisian experience: “You feel like you’re in the middle of a very, very well-written book.”
Paris, for all its beauty and culture, is in fact a very warm, gentle and accommodating city. And while everything is still undeniably chic and visually arresting, there’s also something that’s very grounded about it. This inherent quality is encapsulated in the city’s sartorial inclinations. After all, the success of a fashion statement depends largely on the strength of its own style. An unspoken concept that Parisians, it seems, have mastered.
“There’s something about Parisian style that exudes effortlessness,” says Patty.
Patty herself is known for her exceptional style. And often, she finds herself choosing pieces that are hardworking — clothes that are as fashionable as they are practical. And as an avid traveler, Bensimon sneakers have now become her go-to footwear of choice.
“When you have a pair of Bensimon, you see it and you immediately know where you’re going to use it. I’ve used it in Barcelona, Croatia, France — it has function written all over it, but it’s chic at the same time,” she explains.
Her recent Parisian jaunt found her delving into the story behind what the classic pair of sneakers stand for. Created by brothers, Serge and Yves Bensimon 37 years ago, Bensimon sneakers, with its classic design and inherent simplicity, are now known for representing what Paris is all about — effortless and natural. It’s the philosophy that defined the design of their footwear when it was first introduced, and one that has stood the test of time as it became inextricably tied to the Parisian lifestyle.
“Often, I’d notice someone who looked stylish and one out of three times, it would always be Bensimon at her feet. You could see someone in a very upscale part of Paris like Madeleine or Champs-Élysées in Bensimon sneakers and still look very chic; and you can go to the grocery and still see someone wearing them.” What Bensimon has done is shift the perception and image of the traditional sneaker.
“It’s always nice to see the mechanism behind a brand that you believe in. When you see Bensimon sneakers, they seem very simple, yet when you understand just how much went into creating the design or choosing the color, you begin to see how much love and effort goes into each pair,” Patty says after she visited the Bensimon headquarters.
These same reasons were behind Terry S.A.’s decision to introduce the Bensimon and Parisian ideal in the Philippines, where its French heritage of quality and classic appeal fits right in with the discerning Filipino lifestyle.
“There’s no better brand that can challenge the traditional style inclinations better that Bensimon — no other pair can bring together sophistication and casualness in equal parts that it can easily transition from chic to sleek, depending on how you style it,” ends Bensimon Philippines brand director Ammiel De Leon.
And as Bensimon carves a distinct niche for itself in fashion, there is no doubt that it will soon find a place in shoe closets across the country.
Bensimon sneakers are available at CommonThread (Greenbelt 5, Power Plant Mall), Rustans (Gateway, Makati, Alabang Town Center, Shangrila), Center of Gravity (Burgos Circle and Centris Walk), Shoe Salon (Glorietta 3, Power Plant Mall Rockwell, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, and Trinoma), and Shoe Thing (Kids styles only: Bonifacio High Street, Eastwood Mall, and Greenbelt 5). The price ranges from 2,095 to 2,565 for the men’s and women’s line and 1,295 to 1,795 for the kids’ styles. Visit www.bensimon.com.ph for more information.