Tesi Johnson, Gleaner Writer

Ike Francis lends his engineering background to effecting hand-sewn geometric patterns to accent his shirts.

Loose, cool fabrics such as crushed cotton and linen, docile earth tones, simplistic designs, and hand-sewn motifs define Ike Francis' line of men's leisurewear - Poetic.

While working out of his home in Kingston, Francis sat down with Flair to share his sojourn into fashion design.

A bartender by night and designer by day, his story reads like that of aspirants to Hollywood fame. He hones the talent that first surfaced as a teenager, and positions himself in a job that will pay the bills as he works to build his client list and perfect his craft.

First creation

Francis first began sewing as a young boy, when his parents made him learn to mend the clothing he ripped while playing.

"For that I can sew by hand pretty well," he says, and he would continue to sew by hand well into his teens, his first creation at age 13 being a knapsack made from an old pair of jeans.

Years later, he would begin designing shirts and having someone else sew them. However, it was not until a potential client requested some samples at a time when he was devoid of a seamstress, that he actually began doing his own sewing.

He had long been taught how to thread a sewing machine, and had a semi-industrial machine boxed up at home, and thought "I was an engineering student in a past life so it couldn't be that hard."

Francis proceeded to take apart a shirt he had, lay the pieces on a cardboard box, and that was his first template, "which I still use today."

One thing

From then on, Francis did his own sewing in addition to penning his designs. He has started out with only shirts, but soon he will expand his line to include men's pants, and also women's leisure wear. He promises to hold firm to his signature of simplistic designs, characterised by lines that blend and harmonise, which has already found favour with his current clients, including a few local entertainers and even his co-workers.

International market

Ultimately Francis would like to see his clothing being sold on the international market, where he promises to introduce a "simplistic eye backed by a creative mind."

Meanwhile, he draws inspiration from his father, who he credits with his knack for quality clothing, his dad being a well-dressed man.

He is also inspired by established local designer, Yola Gray, who he also cites as his mentor.