Creative Direction, Courtesy of Chic Report

When Chic Report caught up with Bensoni’s Sonia Yoon and Ben Channing Clyburn at their Fall 2009 presentation last week, we expected to gush over their adorable collection–but we weren’t expecting to be introduced to their yet-to-be-named muse…
Sonia: We thought of this girl that lives in Paris with a boyfriend in the Marais, and she’s having an affair with this DJ-slash-graffiti artist from Tokyo, so she has this very pristine elegance, Parisian chic flair, but she also has this funky side to her, with a little bit of an edge. We did all these lip graffiti prints, all about love, and there’s leopard, which is very Parisian, so we tried to mix and balance the two. But overall, she’s a very pretty, girly girl.

Ben: It’s very young, fun, kind of hip but also very chic at the same time.

Chic Report: I love how specific your story is. Do you guys always have a character in mind when you design?
S: Not always.
B: This season, she just really started to become a character, come to life.
CR: Do you have a name for your girl?
S: We’re still thinking of a name. Do you have any ideas? Like a French name…
CR: I like the name Sophie.
S: Oh, Sophie’s good. She looks kind of like a Sophie. She’s fun, she’s edgy, very elegant and pretty.
CR: So did I just help you guys name your collection?
S: I think so! We’ll credit you!