From pure elegance to street glam, Francis Libiran is venturing to unexplored terrain, coming up with something we’ve never seen him do before.
Ever since 2017, there has been a meteoric rise in the popularity of streetwear. We’ve seen how street—formerly perceived as a lesser sophisticated aesthetic—suddenly had the potential to become equal to that of its luxury counterpart. While it’s been rooted in skate and hip-hop culture—from the puffer jackets, hoodies, oversized logos, to baggy silhouettes—it has successfully penetrated the luxury big leagues.
And as this explosion of streetwear trend has already taken over the local fashion scene as well, local brands and even designers are starting to release their own RTW line of streetwear. In fact, the most recent one is none other than Francis Libiran.
The designer to the stars has already made an indelible mark in the fashion industry for over two decades now, especially during his 20th Anniversary show. He’s world-renowned for designing intricate luxury couture pieces usually drawing inspiration from various architectural artwork.
With several years of experience in running his own brand, he has perfected the art of producing one-of-a-kind wearable art pieces making him a favorite among Hollywood celebrities and A-list clients—from Darren Criss, Mena Massaud, and Billy Porter, to name a few.
Now, following his take on minimalist couture endeavor titled, Simply Francis Libiran, giving everyone much easier access to the couture world, the designer further steps out of the box that he’s known for. This time, he unveils his streetwear line to adapt to the new normal.
Aptly called 8 by Francis Libiran, his goal is to marry street culture and high fashion. “These are extraordinary times. As a designer, I am abreast of what is currently happening in the world so I thought of designing something that many people would choose to wear every day,” he shares.
Keeping intact his true nature as a designer of only producing chic contemporary pieces, all the looks that he offers are stylish, comfortable, and functional without sacrificing luxury. But the best part about it is it boasts of an all-unisex line of apparel—from oversized shirts to essential accessories.
“For the first collection, the designs are androgynous, because I believe that style has no boundaries,” Francis explains. “We are on a test run on the items we produced and so far, we are very happy at the response. As a matter of fact, some of the items are running out of stock already and we have to produce new stocks quickly.”
But what’s the reason behind the sudden shift of direction for Francis you ask? Well, he believes that the key to his success in the industry is by constantly innovating while staying true to the aesthetics of his brand. Throughout the span of his career, he never failed to challenge himself to explore new terrains in the world of fashion design. After all, fashion per se has always been adept to the constantly evolving times. And honestly speaking, we believe that is the secret formula on how one could truly become a world-class designer like Francis Libiran.
Check out the whole streetwear collection by Francis Libiran below:
You can now shop 8 by Francis Libiran online via shop.francislibiran.com. Follow them on Instagram @francislibiran for more information and updates.
