Celebrity fashion designer Francis Libiran designed the Barong Tagalog uniforms of the Filipino athletes for the opening of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games to be hosted by the Philippines later this year.
The world-renowned Filipino designer, who also created a wedding Barong Tagalog for multi-awarded Hollywood actor Darren Criss, showcased the Filipino symbol with pride in his new barong creation for the nation’s athletes.
The new barong uniform was unveiled by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) during the Team Philippines General Assembly held at Philsports Complex in Pasig City on July 5.
The Libiran-designed barong tops for both male and female athletes feature embroidered patterns similar to the rays of sun in the Philippine flag.
“The sun rays are very symbolic because it’s positive, so it’s a very good indication for our athletes to think that way,” Libiran, who had also dressed up Aladdin star Mena Massoud for his Toronto premiere.
The barongs also feature detachable collars bearing blue and red colors inspired from the national flag. The blue and red collars were made detachable so the barongs can be used for other occasions.
For additional glow, the buttons for barongs are made of Swarovski crystals.
“Whichever angle the athlete is walking during the parade, it’s very visible
because our traditional barong is usually in the front lang, plus the collar from afar, I wanted it to be visible with colors, but I didn’t want it too colorful so we just made use of blue and red from our flag,” shared Francis Libiran.
Francis Libiran revealed the sketch of his design on social media and expressed how proud he is with his creation.
“It gives me great pride to release the designs of the official parade uniforms I created exclusively for Team Philippines at the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
“Depicting the vibrant colors and meaningful symbols of the Philippine national flag, these designs of the famous Barong Tagalog presents a modern take on the Philippines’ national costume.
“Created using fine Philippine fabrics and materials, these designs celebrate pure Filipino pride,” Francis Libiran shared on Instagram.
Team Philippines will use the barongs for the SEA Games opening parade to be held at the newly built Southeast Asian Games facilities in Clark City, Pampanga. The 30th SEA Games will be held from November 30 – December 11, 2019.
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