Franklin Eugene could be a hypnotist, if he wasn't already a fashion designer and lawyer. His voice has that sonorous, mellifluous, persuasive quality. And over the course of an hour during which he describes his creations - men's suits - I realise that Franklin is indeed a hypnotist of sorts, only he uses his sartorial creations to mesmerise his audience.
"This is an innovative vision of the classic nautical blue blazer," he says with a flourish, almost appearing to conjure up the design from his 2012 collection - called the Vettro - out of the air. He turns into a teacher lecturing the uninitiated on fashion mores. "What we have here is a six-on-three," he says, pointing to the six shining buttons that highlight the double-breasted jacket. "All three actually button."
He's at pains to explain what's so unique about it. "I've rarely seen a six-on-three, paired with a wide rounded peak lapel, double-breasted silhouette. A six-on-three is usually a classic notch lapel, not a peak lapel [for more on suit designs see box out]."
He then points to the unusual row of eight buttons on the cuff. "This is a glittering show for my trademark style affectation - the eight-button arm cuff," says the American designer proudly. However, he makes a concession for the more conservative dresser, who might prefer a less flamboyant style - "Three of them actually open, so if the person doesn't want to show eight buttons he doesn't have to. You watch, there are going to be copycats soon!" Finding a balanceWith Franklin, the creative designer, the showman and the businessman all come together in one package. He is also one of the models for his collection - but, just when you begin to think it's an ego trip, he explains, "I am one of the faces of the 2012 collection because we're a new company and have to save where we can. Also, we have a diverse brand image catering to various segments. So this makes sense for me."
Franklin is unique in that he is one of very few designers of men's haute couture based in Dubai. And yet, he says he never ever thought he'd launch his own fashion brand one day. "The only reason I became interested in fashion is that I come from a very fashion-conscious family," he says. "Both my parents - my father, Franklin, is a lawyer and a pastor and my mother, Cora, is a school teacher - had impeccable style sense and passed it on to their children. They always presented themselves to the world in immaculate fashion. I picked up on all of that."
But that did not extend to any notions of studying fashion until much later. Like his father, Franklin studied law, receiving a Doctor of Jurisprudence and later an MBA from Indiana University.
While practising law in the US, he took to designing clothes both for himself and for some clients - "mostly doctors and lawyers". As his design commissions grew, Franklin felt the need to learn fashion designing formally, and went on to acquire a qualification from the London School of Fashion.
For Franklin it was all about giving free rein to his creative urges. "I have always had an innate creative talent, and I am always searching for balance,'' he says. "So while I was pursuing something practical (law), I was always looking for a creative outlet, whether it was as a vocalist in high school or even sport."
Franklin's values are ‘Passion, strength, vision, craftsmanship and style'. "My creations are cut and proportioned to evoke those words," he says. "Inner strength in an outward fashion, that's what my line is all about."
Franklin moved to Dubai in 2004. Within a year and a half he'd secured bespoke tailors, Savile Row, in Dubai Marina, to give life to his creations. Since then he's been designing for private clients, until he took the decision last year to launch his own brand, Franklin Eugene in Dubai. "I have been designing suits for a private clientele for years, and when I came back from Milan Fashion Week in September 2011, I knew the time had come - don't ask me how, I just felt it!" he says.
The launch was to be in May this year, but unexpectedly the men's fashion magazine GQ Italia picked up on his 2012 collection at the Milan for Men's Fashion Week in January. "My collection received an unexpected international launch on the magazine's website in January," says Franklin. "The rest, as they say, is history."
Dressing to impressFranklin proudly shows me the rest of his 2012 collection - ten pieces designed for different occasions, inspired by ‘iconic people and places'. "The Dillion suit, for instance, is a homage to the timeless elegance of the British and American styles with a really short silhouette, while the Daniel is a formal tribute to raw British masculinity," he says. "The Vettro is a salute to the people of Milan."
He shows me one of his sketches. "This was originally designed for a magician who performs in the Middle East, James Harrington, who asked me to design his wedding suit."
But the creation Franklin is most proud of is the Sharmoud. "This is our crown jewel!" he says. "It's an homage to the brave and indomitable spirit of the Arabian male. I have shown it to a few Emiratis and they love it — it's a hyper-stylised blazer with two extra ticket pockets, and the signature wide, rounded peaked lapels, with crimson red style affectations. It can be worn over a black kandoorah."
It takes between two to six weeks to make a suit designed by Franklin at Savile Row and the price ranges between Dh3,000 and Dh30,000, depending on the fabric and cut. "Savile Row has all the design specifications to create any of my suits, so a customer can get one made without my presence." Heart on his sleeveAlthough Franklin devotes a lot of time creating what he calls "sartorial splendour" and being concerned with beautiful outward appearances, he is also concerned with the inner beauty of the person wearing the suit. He believes in giving back to the society he lives in, and pledges a portion of the proceeds from the sale of any suit in the collection to Dubai Cares - a philanthropic organisation working to improve children's access to quality primary education in developing countries. This is part of Franklin's ethos of finding balance in everything he does, which means that even if his fashion label takes off, he says he will not entirely let go of his background in law.
"Launching the brand is a blending of my business talents with my purely creative talents," he says. "I'll still be doing a lot of things however successful my brand becomes."
Franklin says he loves to listen as much as he likes to talk, and that's the part of designing that keeps him hooked. "I spend a lot of time getting to know my client," he says. "What they like to do, how they spend their time, it all helps me style for him. My designs are an outward manifestation of a man's inner best self."