BENCH/OJ + RAJO

I was privileged enough to be invited by Bench to meet Rajo Laurel and at the same time shop along with my favorite couple bloggers (you know them) but unfortunately I was not able to meet Mr. Laurel because I have to leave early for some Saturday work commitments. I decided to go back a couple of hours later hoping that I'll be able to catch up with the meet-up but Rajo already left. Luckily, I still got to see David, Lissa, Seph & Shai, and Mr. JC Buendia (for Kashieca) and Ava (I was with Ana, Dani and Pax by the way). The best part? I was able to shop and keep a Bench/OJ + Rajo jeans and shorts. More of those soon on my outfit posts, for the meantime, here's what went down that day...

I was able to check out the Rajo wares and everything looked damn fine! Even the mannequins will agree.

The Rajo jeans were displayed both from its inside and outside showcasing the quality and the craftsmanship of the jeans. Can you guess which of these jeans I got?

These are for the ladies...

Let's not forget the scents!

And here are my favorite bloggers who were supposedly my double-double dates...

Seph & Shai

David & Lissa

Me! Photo by David.

"The Revolution"

Rajo Laurel's collection for Bench is a revolution like no other; aimed to elevate Bench OJ to the next level. Face-offs in music, dance and fashion were utilized to present two sides of the collection; aligned with the release of Rajo Uno and Rajo Dos fragrances.

Pieces are anchored on the limited edition Bench/OJ + Rajo denim line which boasts of dynamic, contoured cuts and a personal sense of craftsmanship.

Coming from his made to order sensibilities, Rajo paid extra attention to all details and brought an artisan sense into the production of each piece.

"You will immediately feel the quality and attention to detail when you try the jeans on.

All this was done to create a truly extraordinary experience for the Bench customer," Rajo says.

I got a pair of shorts and jeans and all I can say is… tama si Rajo.

Now let's talk about the scents!

Rajo drew inspiration from his deep-seated fascination with the Japanese aesthetic and his own Spanish heritage. In striking a balance between the two, he ended up with a duality of scents that captured his sensibilities perfectly.

Rajo Uno distinctly gives off a citrus-peach fragrance with a hint of Vanilla and Musk while...

Rajo Uno el más fuerte

Rajo Dos contains a fusion of unique elements such as Basil, Cardamom Nutmeg and Amber.

Rajo Dos el más fino

The scents are packaged in wooden topped bottles, which reflect the artisan quality, emphasized in the denim collection.

The Rajo! Revolution is the culmination of Bench and Rajo's design journey and collaboration. Inspirations for the denim pieces were drawn from the duality between the rawness of wood and the zen of Japanese street style.

"From creating the mood of the scents to finalizing the prototypes of the jeans, the team has reached a point of critical mass… It's going to be monumental and I think Manila has waited long enough for something like this to come along. In a word, it's going to be revolutionary." - Rajo Laurel

Bench/OJ + Rajo 2012 Limited Collection and Rajo Uno and Rajo Dos scents are now available in all Bench boutiques.

Don't forget to follow Bench on Facebook and Twitter for more exciting news and updates on its latest collaborations!