Francesca Versace was recently in Manila to launch her collection for BRICS. The special collaboration for the 60-year-old Italian luggage brand that specializes in practical and functional bags made from leather and nylon, called “Travel Sense” debuted in the Philippines first before the rest of Asia.
The eldest daughter of Santo Versace—older brother of Donatella and Gianni, and who has also been dubbed as the brains behind the Versace empire—was incredibly humble and down-to-earth, devoid of any indication that she is part of the family of one of the biggest names in fashion. We discovered that we have a mutual friend in Bryan Boy. And she was more interested about the flea markets here, as well as exploring historical Intramuros, than any of the upscale establishments in the city. She wants to come back and visit our islands soon.
Francesca’s collection of bags and accessories revolve around the theme of traveling—something very close to her heart. She says that when she returns from her travels, she always comes back with pictures that she puts into frames. The frames were reinterpreted into the design of her collection, which she put together, and added a touch of baroque and neoclassic because of her family DNA, growing up surrounded by furniture and paintings from the 1800s. She also has an extreme attention to detail, with her bags having pockets for mobile phones, and padded pockets for Ipads.
Francesca is keen on building her own name as a designer, and is definitely one to watch out for.
Get to know her more in the October issue of Lifestyle Asia.
BRICS is located at SM Aura Premier and EDSA Shangri-La Plaza East Wing.
