Friends with Benefits

Clark Sabbat originally studied architecture while he was in High School but became interested in fashion while waiting for projects to be graded and decided that he wanted to design clothes. Clark taught himself how to draw. He applied and was accepted to the Parsons School of Design. He attended Parsons for three years before going to The Fashion Institute of Technology where he studied women’s tailoring and patternmaking. Once Clark left school, he started an import and export business which took him to France where he discovered the city of Love and Light. He learned to foster his creativity working and living between New York and France for 10 years. He came back to NYC a few years ago and continued a fashion company he started in France, Voudoo. That company has closed and for the past 2 years he has been designing with his girlfriend and business partner Lynn Levoy on Friends with Benefits. Their collections are all about “accessible cool”. They create beautiful and affordable clothes that are designed to last. Their collections are filled with unexpected details and the most amazing fabrics. Friends with Benefits started from modified cotton t-shirts and has grown into beautifully draped pieces with intricate stitching, not easily noticed at first glance, but once worn, the garments hug the body and emphasize the details that went into their creation. The collections are always evolving as they evolve. Clothes are a reflection on how Clark and Lynn feel about themselves and the world around them….Their philosophy is simple “As always the fabric dictates the cut and the drape. All the hands can do is pay attention to what the fabric wants to do. This collection is simply about design in its most basic sense….A pair of scissors, fabric and inspiration.”