Head Gear: Been there, done hat

South African milliner Albertus Swanepoel began working on a collaboration with a Philippine brand last year.

"I'm doing a collection of hats for Bench. Do you know it?" he asked me at the time.

The Philippines is an archipelago of 7107 islands with a population perilously close to 100million. But in reality, it's a small town where everybody knows everybody, particularly in the capital, Manila.

I know Bench well. It's a home-grown casual, trend-focused chain of clothing stores aimed at the mass market, somewhere between Woolworths and Mr Price but with edgier marketing. Its founder, a retail visionary named Ben Chan, is a friend.

I was thrilled that my friends had hooked up with each other, but I thought the pairing was curious.

Hats are becoming a popular accessory, and can add oomph to an outfit, but Swanepoel was not a household name in Manila. Something of a maverick, Chan took a bold step with the partnership.

Over brunch in New York last May, he gave me a teaser of Swanepoel's limited edition line - a sample of the elegant, retro-Victorian, Bench x Albertus Swanepoel label to be sewn inside each hat.

"Why Albertus?" I asked.

"As a fashion brand, our goal is not just to deliver what the public already likes, but to introduce new ideas, new perspectives, new visionaries. One of them is Swanepoel, whose work I have admired since I first saw it in stores like Barney's and Bergdorf Goodman, and in magazines like Vogue. I thought that his designs would excite the Philippines."

Over tea a few days earlier, Swanepoel was just as excited.

"It's daunting to go into a new market," he said. ''I sell in Japan and Korea, but the Philippines will be a first."

The 14-piece limited edition collection was launched this month in Manila as part of the chain's holiday season offerings. It is sporty yet sophisticated, and bears the hallmarks of Swanepoel's South African heritage: pinstripes on cricket caps, ethnic stripes and African neon prints, camo motifs, patchwork patterns and geometric knits.

"We hosted an exhibit of Albertus's work from his signature line, his collaborations with different designers, and his designs for Bench," Chan said. "It gave a glimpse of his thought and handcraft process."

He also hosted a forum called Meet the Milliner, a talk in which fashion students from four schools in Manila participated.

"I bet you've never been feted this way in your own country," I teased Swanepoel.

"This kind of exposure is unprecedented to me," he marvelled.

From a retail viewpoint, he said: "There seems to be a lot of diversity, with creative things happening. Bench is at the forefront with their graphics, merchandise and visual displays."

Almost two years down the line, the milliner still can't quite believe they pulled it off. "It gave me an incredible opportunity to expand my brand," he said.

• Olivares Wise is an SA-based Filipino fashion journalist