Inside Behno New York's Resort 2026 Preview: Cocktails and Craftsmanship at NoMads Iconic Speakeasy Ten11
On July 7th, Ten11, the lounge inside ZOI Mediterranean, became the backdrop for Behno New York's Resort 2026 Collection preview: a cocktail hour built around getting hands on the bags, not just eyes on them.
[Photo: Behno]
Hands-On at Ten11
There was no runway and no formal program, just a room designed for closeness. Guests were encouraged to actually pick up and examine the collection's signature handbags, from beaded and crocodile-embossed silhouettes to Behno's sculptural top-handle styles, all while sipping cocktails and snacking on light bites. Margaritas made with Rosaluna mezcal kept the room loose: smoky, sweet, and easy to sip between bag swaps. It was a preview rooted in touch rather than distance, the type of night that left people with real opinions on the hardware, not just a photo for later.
That tactile energy translated directly into the content coming out of the night: tight shots of texture and hardware, styled "on-body" moments, and flat-lays highlighting the full range of colorways and silhouettes.
[Photo: Behno]
The crowd leaned toward stylists, editors, and digital creators rather than pure celebrity, the sort of guests who actually ask about the leather instead of just posing next to it. The list was small on purpose, but it carried weight: names whose followers pay attention when they post. Plenty of them did exactly that, turning a low-key cocktail hour into a night whose reach kept building long after last call, proof that Behno doesn't need a packed house to spark conversation.
The Standard Behind the Label
Behno New York was founded by Shivam Punjya after he saw firsthand the unsafe conditions and economic inequity still common across garment production in developing regions. That firsthand experience shaped the label's entire premise: fashion built around consciousness, sustainability, and craftsmanship, not simply trend cycles. It reads less like a mood board and more like a mandate.
That premise grew into The Behno Standard, six guiding principles covering fair wages, women's empowerment, safe workplaces, environmental responsibility, worker health, and access to family planning. These principles shape how and where the brand manufactures. Every Behno bag passes through what the company calls the Maison de Behno, a global network of tanneries, thread manufacturers, artisans, and packaging specialists held to that same standard. Transparency runs the entire length of the supply chain, not just the final stitch.
[Photo: Behno]
Part of that network is based in Varanasi, India, where Behno partners with Loom to Luxury, a hub for handwoven silk and muslin textiles built on techniques passed down for more than five centuries. The brand also works with NEST, a nonprofit dedicated to building a more inclusive handworker economy, helping artisans, particularly women, gain access to fair wages, education, and safer working conditions.
Punjya has been open about the fact that none of this changes overnight. The factories Behno partners with aren't held up as perfect; they're chosen because they're willing to keep improving.
Change, in his words, is a continual process rather than a finish line. It's a more honest, less polished way to talk about supply chains, and it's central to how the brand wants to be judged.
Onar Safak owner of Ten11
[Photo: Venus Legeon]
The Bigger Picture
There's an obvious connection between how Behno describes itself and how it chose to introduce Resort 2026. No oversized spectacle, just a room small enough for people to actually pick up the bags, ask real questions, and feel the weight of a brand staking its reputation on how something is made, not just how it looks. For a label built on the belief that luxury and integrity can coexist, letting the collection do the talking over cocktails at Tenll was, in its own understated way. completely on-brand, and a quiet reminder that the most conscious rooms are often the smallest ones.
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
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