A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to spend an intimate evening at the home/studio of Clark Sabbat and Lynn Levoy, the designers behind Friends with Benefits.
When I asked about the interesting name, Sabbat shares that the label was created with the intention to collaborate with their friends. They eventually would like to create a lifestyle brand that also benefits others by donating a percentage of the profits to select charities. They also liked the other connotation that it is a little sexy because every woman wants to look a little sexy. I mention the movie with the same title and they groan a little because their name was long existing before the movie ever came into being.
Sabbat states that in some ways he like Rick Owens and Haider Ackermann is a student of Madame Gres. He loves drape and 90% of the collection is created through draping and working with the fabrics and simplicity. His background in architecture also plays a key in the clean and sculptural lines. For this reason the designer does not use any buttons in the collection as they are a distraction but instead rely on invisible zipper and snaps as the closures on all pieces.
