Francis Libiran on Life, Passion, and Building His Fashion Empire

Behind the creative flair of the fashion world is an extremely competitive industry that involves models, makeup artists, photographers, retail merchandisers, publicists, and of course, fashion designers.

It’s no stranger that a lot of Filipino fashion designers are making waves in the global fashion industry, dominating the world with their crafts and creations. As we take pride and support Filipino talent, The Beat Asia caught up with one of the most sought-after Filipino fashion designers, Francis Libiran, to get a glimpse of his life in the fashion scene.

Early Life and Career Path 

Having an interest in fashion can be defined in different ways. For others, it can mean collecting luxury items or being fascinated in styling. But for Francis, his love for fashion design was inspired by the mesmerizing architecture he saw in every place he visited.

When he was young, Francis used to hide his sketches from his parents as they coaxed him to map out his career in architecture. The Filipino fashion designer admitted that studying architecture in college was the greatest challenge for him.

Even though he had chosen a different path, Francis said his parents remained supportive of his endeavors and proud whenever his creations are featured locally and internationally.

“I pushed myself to take huge risks and the rest is history,” he told The Beat Asia in an email interview.

Passion in Fashion

As one of the country’s successful fashion designers in this generation, Francis defines fashion as self-expression through clothing styles and handcrafted details on every piece of work. For him, everything that revolves around the fashion industry is vital—from manufacturing to retailing and marketing to designing itself.

“All of these go hand in hand, because without these, there would be no industry. Designed pieces need its marketing team to hype and interest the audience. Manufacturing is needed to be able to produce materials for wearable art. Sales is the heart of the industry, where they tell the story of the clothes by getting in touch with our clients.”

Francis told The Beat Asia that there’s no better way to reflect his passion than when he sees his clients dressed in his designs while wearing a smile on their faces.

“It’s my fuel to be able to produce more wearable pieces for future clients. As long as they are happy, so am I,” he said.

As someone passionate about fashion and design, Francis believes that “doing things ahead of time is very essential when working with fashion. Schedules are so hard to follow when you procrastinate so one should be able to prioritize. I believe that with this principle, you can never be piled on or stressed by work.”

Following one's passion means exploring the ups and downs to discover more. Just like Francis, everything he experienced in the fashion industry led him to an opportunity that fulfilled his dream—making him feel confident with his creations.

Francis shared that he enjoys working with celebrities and personalities. One of his favorite clients is Darren Criss because of his bold and fashionable style. Francis led the creation of Criss’ bespoke collection for his first holiday album launch called "Very Darren Crissmas." He also mentioned that dressing up Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Beatrice Luigi Gomez for the 70th Miss Universe coronation night is a notable experience, as it allowed him to learn the country’s history and culture by heart through Gomez.

Future Projects

Like all other world-famous Filipino fashion designers, Francis admits that his life has always been an open book. But if there are things that people do not know about him yet, they all revolve around his upcoming projects.

He revealed to The Beat Asia that he is planning to extend his trademark designs in various lifestyle aspects, although he did not disclose further details. While we’re all excited to see Francis’ newest creations, he shared some “extra pearls of wisdom” to aspiring young fashion designers who dream of following his footsteps: “Never stop dreaming and creating. If you really put your mind into it, it will manifest in your life. Always find inspiration wherever you go and incorporate them in your creations. And remember, no one and nothing can stop you from following your dreams.