“Cool people sew!” says Benji Langmaack, a freshman at Santa Monica High School and creator of the fashion brand Bahl Denim.
Benji started designing his own clothes in middle school. “I loved skateboarding…and with skateboarding comes a certain aesthetic and style, which is like the baggy jeans and all that,” he remembers. “Those baggy jeans cost so much that I thought, ‘Why don’t I just start making them?'”
Benji began receiving private instruction from a professional designer on Melrose Avenue and now spends much of his free time sewing custom designs for clients across Los Angeles. “My main thing is jeans,” he says. “But I do tote bags. I just got asked to do a little mini skirt, so I’m starting working on women’s wear as well.”
Benji — whose favorite designers include Carol Christian Poell and Ann Demeulemeester — hopes to one day attend Antwerp, a prestigious fashion college in Belgium. Here’s what else he had to share in an exclusive interview with Clique:
Where can people buy your creations?
I market online. I’m actually working on a website right now with my dad. For right now, somebody can message me on TikTok or Instagram or Snapchat and they can order a custom pair of jeans. They can give me their measurements and tell me what denim, thread, leg opening, inseam, outseam… Whatever they want. I can make it custom to them.
How long does it take?
I could probably finish in three or four days.
Is all of your work one of a kind?
Typically, I make things to order. I don’t, like, make a bunch of jeans and then sell them.
How long do you think the baggy pants trend is gonna last?
I think it’s already starting to go away. It’s already starting to fade. Personally, I’m starting to like boot cut jeans more. I’m starting to wear more boots with heels and stuff like that.
Now everyone is wearing sagging pants.
Exactly! I think sagging is really stupid. It can go a little past your waist, but I think it gets to a point…
Would you have said that in middle school?
Probably not. But, I mean, everything changes. It’s just personal style.
Is there now a status to underwear as well?
I think there is. Definitely. I have friends who spend $400 on just three pairs of Chrome Hearts underwear.
Do you ever look back and think your previous styles were cringy?
Yeah, but I don’t think I was crazy. I think that was just how I wanted to like, represent myself. I feel like you can’t really judge how you used to be. I mean, if you thought it was cool back then, that’s all that really matters.
The fashion world can be cruel. How do you deal with rejection?
I think I deal with it pretty well, but… I really could care less about other people’s opinions. What I care about is what I like and what I’m making. Other than that, people can say what they want to say, but it’s not gonna get to me.
If you could style one celebrity, who would do one style?
One of my friends, his dad is an actor. Owen Wilson. I feel like I definitely like to style him.
What are your other interests besides fashion?
I really like music and just a lot of creative things. Art, in general. I like being on the edge.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I have two bunnies. I’ve had bunnies ever since fourth grade. I got them during the pandemic. My house is known as the bunny house. People come to my house on Easter and just look at the bunnies. Also, I’m I’m an only child, and I’m one of the oldest in the grade.
What other talents do you have?
Growing up, I was always athletic. I did a lot of sports. I know how to play the piano. I know how to play guitar. I did karate up until eighth grade. I’m the second junior black belt, so I teach karate sometimes on the side.
What are you streaming right now?
I don’t really watch movies or TV shows. I have a TV in my room, but I rarely turn it on. Personally, I feel like I’d rather be spending time either just chilling in my room on my phone or sewing. In my free time I pretty much sew.
Do you ever feel like you were born in the wrong generation?
No, I think my generation’s perfect. I obviously wish that there are more people who would do what I do, but, also I don’t think I would be able to do what I do if I was born in a different generation.
| Follow Benji on Instagram @FreeBenj Follow Bahl Denim on Instagram @BahlDenim |
Photos: Katie Daly (@KatieDalyPhotography)
