Francis Libiran takes a shine to red carpet glamour

MANILA, Philippines - If you are fan of local celebrities then you are no stranger to Francis Libiran as he has been prolific in providing them with floor-length ensembles and suits for their award shows. Libiran continues his obvious preference for red carpet dressing with his collection for Fashion Watch’s spring/summer 2012 which was all about shiny fabrics and eye-catching details. His show opened up with dresses in rich jewel tones that had peek-a-boo cut-outs which the designer said was done through layering, folding and twisting the fabric within the dress. “I wanted my collection to be sheer-sexy with minimal details,” explains Libiran, emphasizing how the placement of the layers and folds were done to cover enough to leave more for the imagination.  The second set for women went to nude tones and dove grey dresses and pantsuits, using organdy and silk chiffon with pleating details that added softness to the design. “I wanted to emphasize more structure again with the use of folds, some flat, some embossed, and mixed with sheer soft silk chiffon skirts and wide leg pants,” says Libiran. The pleating was used as accents on necklines.

For men, Libiran kept the shine on with his gray suits using a shiny wool blend fabric for the jackets and trousers. The construction of the jackets was a little unusual, being a bit short on the sleeve, perhaps to show the detail of the shirt and cuff underneath it.  Perhaps this was Libiran’s attempt at a new trend  or to showcase more of his handiwork since he also has a RTW line of men’s shirts. Although the suits were well-tailored there was a certain stiffness to them which may not be too flattering for those who are not of a very slim build. The overall collection of Libiran was eye candy, pretty colors such as tangerine, turquoise and magenta, elegant, rich fabrics that connote a certain decadence, both of which are considered the norm when one is walking down a red carpet. Libiran has indeed found his niche in this particular genre of creating high gloss women’s and men’s wear.