Chris Benz

I'm drawn to girls with a certain self-effacing, humorous quality and an innate independence and point of view. I love the notion of never taking yourself too seriously or being too put together. ”

I love the challenge of taking colors that are totally disparate and making them work together in an interesting way. ”

I interned with Marc Jacobs in college, then worked at J. Crew. I learned a lot about how to fit clothes and what kinds of things sell and why. ”

Designers and musicians are primed to keep thinking forward. Once an album or collection launches, you can only think about doing the next one. ”

There is a lack of humor in fashion. To me, it's always been the fun, cool industry to work in, and I always wanted people to be on my side and see how much fun we really have behind the scenes. ”

I often feel like Facebook is a giant friend portfolio, and sometimes it can be a much more socially appropriate way of contacting a person as compared with texting or telephone. And never mind the fact that it's integrated into the iPhone. Makes me crazy in a super good way. ”

I love how New York as an idea is less a paradigm of manifest destiny and more a romance for the social orphans of the world. We live here to be among the towers and the crowds. ”

I went to Parsons. American sportswear was my education, and that is what is important to me. ”

I'd call my work 'instinctual design.' I like to find the spirit of a piece that defies time, age, and occasion. My clothes give the wearer the chance to develop their own voice within a wardrobe, and I think of them as curators of their personal style. ”

I always knew I wanted to start my own line. Nights and weekends, I would work on my business plan. ”