The Francis Libiran Universe Collection fashion exhibit formally opened its doors during a press event held in Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila last April 13th, 2022.
Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila’s General Manager, Mr. Olivier Larcher, who opened the night, said that they are thrilled and delighted to work with the best fashion designer in the Philippines and one of the best in the world. He added that It’s an absolute honor to work with such a talent. Now that Sofitel is on a strong rebound, Larcher is expecting more social events to come. He’s looking forward to these, along with more collaborations with Libiran.
Likewise, Libiran is grateful to Sofitel for mounting this exhibit and putting all the stops to have everything in place. The Francis Libiran Universe Collection fashion exhibit is housed in Sofitel Manila’s Events Lounge. It features six gowns, all of which have been strutted by Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Bea Luigi Gomez during the competition.
Libiran, who is no stranger to the world of pageantry, explains that every piece was inspired by Gomez’s personality, her walk, and her physical assets.
“Before I design something for clients, I would really sit down, talk to them, and get to know them. That’s very important for me. I want to know how they are as a person. And I would always ask this question: how do you see yourself on that stage in front of the whole universe?” Libiran said.
Bea Luigi Gomez, the muse for the Universe Collection, came to the event in another Libiran ensemble. She reminisced about truly feeling like gold in her gown during the finals. She expressed how making these gowns was a team effort, but the work was easy because they were helping each other out.
When asked how her journey with the crown has been, Gomez said it was more than the usual beauty queen work. She had to go through with countless realizations, which helped her to become a more empowered woman.
“It became a learning experience for me, and I learned a lot about myself and the people that I’m with. I’m very grateful for the crown and what the crown brought into my life,” she explained.
Shamcey Supsup-Lee, who’s the Miss Universe Philippines National Director for the past three years, also graced everyone with her presence. She says it’s been an honor working alongside Libiran for the past several years, so she had to come to celebrate with him.
“I know the work that entails to produce all the bead gowns, and I think you could really see the dedication,” Supsup-Lee said. “He was also the one who initiated to provide different looks and to ask Bea what she really feels would be the best fit for her during her competition,” she continued.
When asked about what the public can expect from Miss Universe Philippines, she exclaims that this year is really exciting. For the past two years, they’ve been planning a big event where fans could witness and enjoy the biggest national pageant in the Philippines. She also thanked everyone for the support and for sticking by Miss Universe Philippines.
The ribbon cutting was done with Libiran at the center. President and CEO of Francis Libiran – Mr. Arsi Baltazar, Creative Director of Miss Universe Philippine – Mr Jonas Gaffud, and the Director of the Philippine Plaza Holdings – Kazuhito Shibuya, were also in attendance.
The Francis Libiran Universe Collection fashion exhibit is open to the public for the whole month of April until May 2022.
