When asked about the world of fashion and the term sexy, designer Chris Nick has a confession. “I was five years old in the 2000s, and I would see [photos of models of the 2000s] on the internet,” he tells Allure Philippines backstage at his Bench x Chris Nick show at One Ayala in Makati. The designer remembers that era vividly through the magazines and images he saw growing up. 

And for his Holiday 2026 collection, the designer’s requisite ingredients made their way onto the runway. The Chris Nick women were cast in the image of the supermodel bombshell: smoky eyes, nude lips, pale skin, and big, voluminous hair. The references recalled the era of high-glamor runway models, from Natasha Poly to Sasha Pivovarova—a moment in time when beauty was both sensual and erotic.

“I wanted [the girls] to be sort of like a contrast,” the designer says of the beauty direction. “The eyes are smoky, the lips are nude, but the hair is big. And the skin is pale. That’s what I wanted for the girls.”

The makeup kept the eyes at the center, with smoky definition giving an unmistakable Y2K attitude. Nude lips kept the focus from straying too far, while the pale complexion and oversized hair pushed beauty further into the fantasy of the era. For the guys, Nick went in the opposite direction. Their beauty was sleek and pared down, providing a cleaner counterpoint to the bombshell glamor of the women.

“I just wanted to relive that moment,” Nick says. “So, here’s my chance.”

Chris Nick

The wrapped ponytail

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Excel Panlaque

It’s a sleek touch to the sexy universe of Chris Nick. The hair was brushed back from the face, with a little volume on the crown. But the detail worth noting was at the base: a thin section of hair had been wrapped around the elastic, hiding it completely. From the back, the ponytail looked almost as though it had been fastened without a tie at all.

The smudged bombshell eye

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Excel Panlaque

Excel Panlaque

Smudged shadow climbed toward the brows and swept outward into a soft cat-eye. Some looks leaned smudged, while others kept the shape defined, but the result was always smoky, sultry, and unmistakably bombshell—the perfect undone glamor in the Chris Nick universe.

Soft waves, major volume

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Excel Panlaque

A center-parted blowout gave Chris Nick muses Max Collins’ and Marina Summers’ hair plenty of movement, with soft, cascading waves falling past the shoulders. The clean middle part kept the look polished, while a subtle lift at the roots gave the hair extra fullness through the crown. The waves curved gently around the face, catching the light with every turn for a glossy, effortless finish.

Bench/ Active and Bench Originals

And to round out the star-studded evening, Bench/ Active and Bench Originals brought the beauty in step with the collections’ fuss-free sensibility.

“Basically, the inspiration for the [show] is really about being strong, confident, and being yourself. So we really wanted to highlight how [models] really look,” says Ryuji Shiomitsu, creative director and stylist of Bench Fashion Week Holiday 2026.

On the runway, that meant a luminous base that looked lit from within, with a plush sweep of blush sitting high on the cheekbones and giving models and actresses—including Kaila Estrada, G22, and Allure Philippines digital cover star Kai Montinola—the rosy flush of having just come in from a run. Sleek, high ponytails pulled the hair away from the face, keeping the look as streamlined as the clothes. The celebrities wore their eyebrows brushed upward and meticulously groomed, while the lips moved through an array of lipstick tones—from soft nudes to richer, deeper hues.

The men leaned into the same skin-first approach, with lightly bronzed complexions and a fine veil of sheen catching the runway lights with every turn. It was all in the hair for Bench/ Active, with the boys channeling a ’90s Hollywood mood through brushed-back styles and piece-y strands left loose around the face. 

Classic, but never basic

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A deep side part and high-shine finish brought a ‘90s-inspired slick-back into focus, with every strand neatly swept into place. The polished shape nodded to Old Hollywood glamor, while the sleek grooming gave it a distinctly modern, runway-ready finish.

Warm tones, tousled waves

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Excel Panlaque

Kaila Estrada wore her crowning glory in soft, relaxed waves that fell past the shoulders, with a healthy gloss that made it look polished. A piece-y, micro-textured fringe skimmed her brows, giving the waves an easy, lived-in shape—true to the Bench/ Active philosophy. 

Hair was parted cleanly down the center, framing the face with crisp symmetry. Waves came in different lengths, too. Long, raven tresses fell into liquid, high-gloss waves that cascaded down the back, catching the light with a sleek, polished finish. Want to get the look? Pair the glossy waves with warm-toned makeup for a cohesive, sun-kissed finish.

A fresh, post-workout glow

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Excel Panlaque

The makeup stayed clean and easy, save for a high sheen swept across the cheekbones that mimicked the glow of post-workout skin. Under the flashes, it caught the lights of One Ayala beautifully, turning an otherwise pared-back beauty into a polished, camera-ready finish.

A little pop of blush

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Excel Panlaque

Excel Panlaque

For Bench Originals, the ultimate accent shifted to a richly pigmented flush with a vivid, pinkish hue blended upward to sculpt the face. This vibrant pop of color broke through the minimalist beauty base with effortless polish, giving the skin a youthful, captivating warmth.

Va-va-volume

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Long, voluminous waves gave Jasmine ‘Jazz’ Henry of G22 a classic glamour moment: a deep center part opened up her face, while the lengths were blown out with plenty of body and a soft, piece-y texture. Beside her, Alfea Zulueta wore her vibrant red hair in loose, bouncy waves, with soft curtain bangs framing her face with an effortless allure.  Rounding out the trio, AJ Yape’s long dark hair fell sleek and straight beneath a set of full, blunt bangs that covered the forehead.

A boyish ease

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This clean taper has enough texture up top to keep it from feeling too polished. Subtly swept to the side and finished matte, the hair had that slightly undone quality that made the men of Bench Originals look effortlessly put together.

Tousled and textured

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Consider this the boyish side of the lineup. A piece-y fringe skims the forehead, with soft texture through the crown and strands deliberately left separated. The result feels polished enough for the runway, but never overly styled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chris Nick styled his Holiday 2026 women as early-2000s bombshells with smoky eyes, nude lips, pale skin, and big, voluminous hair. The men’s beauty went sleek and pared down, giving a cleaner counterpoint to the women’s high-glamor, Y2K-inspired runway looks at Bench Fashion Week.

The Chris Nick eye is smudged shadow that climbs toward the brows and sweeps outward into a soft cat-eye. Some looks kept the shape more defined, but all read smoky and sultry. Nude lips keep the focus on the eyes, while pale skin adds to the Y2K fantasy.

A wrapped ponytail is a sleek, brushed-back style with slight crown volume, where a thin section of hair is wrapped around the elastic to hide it completely. Seen at Bench x Chris Nick, it looks as though the ponytail was fastened without a tie.

Bench/ Active and Bench Originals leaned on a luminous, lit-from-within base with blush high on the cheekbones for a post-run flush. Brows were brushed upward, lips ranged from soft nudes to deeper hues, and the men wore lightly bronzed skin with a fine sheen.

Max Collins and Marina Summers wore Chris Nick’s center-parted, voluminous waves. At Bench, Kaila Estrada and Kai Montinola were among those in luminous, flushed looks, while Jazz Henry of G22, Alfea Zulueta, and AJ Yape wore waves, curtain bangs, and blunt fringe.