Proudly Filipino. There’s no better way to describe Francis Libiran’s innovative creation for the wedding of BecomingFilipino vlogger Kyle Jennerman, also known as Kulas, and his bride Therine Diquit than being 100% and proudly Filipino. On his Instagram post, Kulas says he always knew that he wanted to wear a Barong Tagalog on his special day. And so, he sought the help of his good friend and renowned designer Francis Libiran to customize his wedding attire using local textiles that no one else has used before.
We talked to Francis Libiran himself to know more about the story behind Kulas and Therine’s beautiful and meaningful barong and gown. So, keep on reading!
When Kulas asked Francis to design his wedding attire, he also had a few special and significant requests. “Kulas told me that he really wants his attire to be very iconic and very memorable for himself,” says Francis.
The requests also include utilizing local fabrics developed by the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Textile Research Institute (DOST-PTRI): The Kawayarn and the SEDA.
Let’s talk about what they are for a bit! The Kawayarn is made of bamboo textile fibers coming from the bamboo plantations of Maragondon, Cavite. Meanwhile, the SEDA is 100% pure Philippine silk fabric produced by the Bombyx mori silkworm hybrid from the Philippine Silkworm Germplasm of the Department of Science and Technology – Philippine Textile Research Institute. It was reared by the Women Seri-Farmers Group in Balubal, Cagayan de Oro City and processed at the Silk Research and Innovation Center in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.
Truly, an incredible testament to Filipino creativity and ingenuity! These two locally produced and handwoven textiles were used to create Kulas and Therine’s beautiful wedding ensembles.
“When we had a meeting, Kulas said he had this fabric which he worked on with DOST. There were three people from DOST who presented me with the bamboo fabric,” says Francis. “I told Kulas that this is very interesting because it’s something new and no one has ever done it yet.”
To make his attire more meaningful and reflective of who Kulas is, there are two significant symbols embroidered on his barong. One is the Canadian maple leaf to represent Kulas’ roots. The other is the sinag or the sun’s rays to represent the Philippine flag and his love for the Philippines.
“Incorporating these symbols were tricky but I was up for the challenge! Kulas only did one fitting but it was a perfect fit right away,” says Francis. “When I drew the sketch, I think I had five options and he chose the one with the design from the shoulder down and from the hem up.”
On his Instagram caption, Kulas also shares a more personal reason why he chose the silk textile for his wedding barong, “The silk used for the textiles was developed by the DOST PTRI in Northern Mindanao,” he writes. “The place in the Philippines that I first started BecomingFilipino, and that was my first home in the country.”
Now, let’s talk about the radiant bride, Therine. It just so happens that her dream bridal gown designer is none other than Francis Libiran himself. On her special day, Therine dons a gorgeous Francis Libiran Bridal Filipiniana made from the Kawayarn and SEDA.
“Therine wanted a Filipiniana style of wedding gown but she asked me to veer away from the butterfly sleeves,” says Francis “We decided on the panuelo type of design, like the Maria Clara. We didn’t make it floral nor too romantic. We added bamboo leaf embroidery as details instead to give the gown a modern and fresh take.”
Since Therine didn’t want to change into a second look either, she also requested Francis to make the panuelo and part of the skirt detachable. An instant, transitional reception look!
Finally, we asked Francis if he sees a future where more brides and grooms wear wedding attire made from the amazing handwoven bamboo fabric and Philippine silk. His answer is yes! “There is interest. Kulas’ attire caused a lot of buzz. It’s eco-friendly and the fabric is very sustainable,” says Francis.
Fashion is usually a highly important part of the wedding journey. Much like Kulas and Therine, many couples place a lot of value in what they wear on their special day. That’s because fashion is a creative and symbolic way of telling your love story and expressing yourselves! And so, innovative creations like the Kawayarn and SEDA may open more opportunities for couples and designers alike to make wedding fashion more sustainable and highly meaningful. Kulas and Therine already show us such beautiful and elegant examples! We look forward to seeing more couples proudly wearing our local textiles and supporting local communities!