Rising from the challenges of his past, Franco Salvatorre has crafted a unique space in the fashion industry that helps young talents and aspiring creatives
Like all beautiful things, it started with fabric. A young boy, barely tall enough to reach the sewing table, sits among scraps in his mother’s tailoring shop. This early immersion enticed Franco Salvatorre’s career—surrounded by creativity, cloth, and a few good stitches. The designer’s early flirtation with fashion may have been playful, but the spark was real, even if life had other plans.
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Beauty from Struggle
“I made my first piece when I was six,” he recalls this wondrous excitement, thinking his early years would incorporate this skill somehow. “But then I shifted to architecture in college.” A slight detour, but one that ended up shaping his future designs in ways he never expected.
It wasn’t until 2016, during a financial crunch, that Salvatorre really stitched his name into fashion’s fabric. “I used my corporate job payout to start my brand, IAOE,” he shares, “at first, it was just a side hustle to help my family. But to my surprise, stylists started paying attention.”
Balancing a budding brand and a full-time job wasn’t easy, but his hustle was undeniable. Then, in 2022, he caught a lucky break: working alongside top designers Puey Quinones and Michael Leyva. But as fashion stories go, it wasn’t always a runway—sometimes it was a slippery slope.
After losing a retail job as a menswear designer, Salvatorre found himself on the edge of giving up, with nothing but SkyFlakes crackers and water to keep him going. But when one door closes (or in this case, nearly evicts you), another opens. His honesty about his struggles went viral on X (formerly Twitter), and, as fate would have it, clients began lining up for his designs.
Suddenly, what felt like the end was really just the beginning. “Within a week, I had my own studio. A month later, I went from two employees to seventeen. Fashion saved me.”
The Franco Salvatorre Style
Salvatorre’s designs reflect his duality. His menswear, especially his suits and barongs, marry the precision of architecture with the elegance of couture. “It’s all about structure and softness,” he explains. “My aesthetic is elevated yet sophisticated, featuring just the right amount of flair to make a statement without being overwhelming.”
The designer finds inspiration in the quiet tug-of-war between nature and the structures humans leave behind. The sight of flowers creeping through crumbling walls, turning decay into something unexpectedly beautiful, fascinates him. In his designs, this interplay becomes art, a world where the boundaries between the natural and the man-made dissolve into something new.
The Filipiniana barong is his signature look, one that threads cultural heritage through contemporary design, much like nature reclaiming a forgotten ruin, as Salvatorre often imagines when crafting his collections. There’s architecture, there’s nature, and there’s a whole lot of storytelling woven into his work.
Building His Brand—and His Community
Beyond IAOE, the designer also heads Salvatorre Design Group, a creative collective offering everything from photography to web design. It’s a full-service creative hub for brands and individuals alike. “I want to lead a collective that amplifies local talent,” he explains. His ambition is as sharp as his suits—focused, but not cutting corners.
“I’m passionate about nurturing young talent in the industry, training aspiring creatives who may be trapped in poverty. It’s my mission to discover and empower these gifted individuals, ensuring their potential isn’t overlooked.”
Franco Salvatorre on helping new Filipino creatives
Having already expanded into Malaysia, the designer’s sights are set beyond the horizon, but he’s staying grounded—feet firmly planted in the belief that Filipino fashion belongs on the world stage.
Barong 2.0
Salvatorre’s latest collection, Jeproks, pays homage to the barong designs that became his lifeline during difficult times. Jeproks reimagines the barong by pairing it with denim—showing that this traditional garment can slip into everyday life. His hope is to see younger generations wearing barongs not just at formal events, but on casual dates and nights out, embracing their roots with an unforced ease.
Among the collection, one piece stands out for the designer: a striking black suit and pants, adorned with bleeding heart embellishments. Worn by KZ Tandingan on The Voice, this design holds a personal significance. “It represents my darkest moments,” he admits, each embellishment echoing the struggles and heartbreaks that is transformed into a reminder that beauty often blooms in the wake of failure.
Franco Salvatorre wants anyone wearing his pieces to feel more than dressed up—he wants them to feel empowered, elevated, and undeniably proud. “Each garment is like a living work of art,” he says, with emotions entailed into detail. When people step into his designs, they step into passion, perseverance, and personal expression that rises above.
Photos: FRANCO SALVATORRE
