Lizandro Acera’s Central Saint Martins graduation collection, titled Fortuna, strives to represent wealth as something other than prosperity.

PHOTOGRAPHY Luigi Abano Acera

By Lizandro Acera’s own admission, growing up as a diasporic Filipino has made his attitude towards fashion design complex and deeply personal. He doesn’t hesitate to scrutinize the disparities he was raised around — part aspiration and part observation. Fortuna, his Central Saint Martins graduation collection, navigates the fragile boundary between abundance and illusion. Drawing from social rituals, celebrations, and inherited ideas of success, Fortuna examines the perception of prosperity.
Acera toys with the dream of “[arriving] to sudden wealth,” a recurring fantasy amongst immigrant families like his own. Through a playful juggling of what is perceived as bountiful, the collection’s six looks zoom in on a distinctly Filipino sociological phenomenon. Garments become vessels, carrying traces of both fulfillment and longing. Through what could be described as an anthology of desires, magnificence is deconstructed, challenging conventional notions of opulence through the lens of vulnerability and aspiration.

Let's talk about Fortuna, your Central Saint Martins final year collection. What were your inspirations for it?
Fortuna was an exploration of what aspiration means to me through the language of clothing. I drew heavily from my family's experiences, old photographs, and my own reflections on growing up within the Filipino diaspora.
A lot of the collection is centred on the unseen labor behind creating an image of success. When Filipinos, like my parents, move abroad, there can be a pressure to reassure family back home that everything is going well. Photographs become a way of protecting both yourself and your loved ones, so images are often carefully curated to present an idealised version of life, where struggle doesn't visibly seep through.
I became interested in that tension between appearance and reality, the work involved in maintaining a perfect image, and the sacrifices that sit behind it. Through this collection, I wanted to explore how clothing can communicate both aspiration and the hidden labor that makes that aspiration possible.
What piqued your fascination with the silhouettes, textures, and fabrics you've used in this collection?
A lot of the fabrics in Fortuna are used in traditional suiting. I was drawn to them because they carry associations of professionalism and respectability. I wanted the garments to feel like a uniform, as if maintaining these carefully constructed images of success was a job in itself. For many migrants, presenting a certain version of yourself can become a form of labor, something that requires constant care and upkeep.
The oversized silhouettes came from observing my own family, particularly my mum. I realised that she often wears looser clothing as a form of protection, concealing weight gain, marks from physical work, or signs of exhaustion. There was a desire to shield all evidence of struggle from view because those realities didn't align with the image she felt she needed to present to people back home.
Silhouettes are also purposefully generous and protective. Alongside that, I incorporated sheer fabrics and off-the-shoulder details to introduce moments of subtle glamour and sensuality. I was interested in that desire to show off a little without it becoming overtly extravagant.
I also included textured fringe skirts as a form of celebration. They bring movement, joy, and visibility to the collection, acting almost as a release from the restraint of the tailored pieces.

How has coming of age in the Filipino diaspora shaped your approach to fashion design?
I was born in Spain and moved to London when I was 10, so I've always existed between different cultures. Because of that, I've never felt able to pull references directly from one place or claim a singular cultural perspective. Instead, my work is informed by the mix of environments, traditions, and communities that have 18 surrounded me throughout my life.
I think that sense of in-betweenness has made me more interested in creating my own visual language rather than relying on obvious cultural references. I often find myself mixing styling cues from the different places I grew up in, alongside the Filipino traditions and values that were present at home. Those influences come together quite naturally in my work, creating something that feels personal rather than tied to a single identity. In Fortuna, that translated into elegant garments that felt more urban and obtainable.
What was the most fascinating part of this collection's creation process? Any interesting stories to share about it?
I think the most fascinating part of creating Fortuna was the opportunity to collaborate with one of my closest friends, Daniel Santangelo. We actually met when I first moved to London and we were in the same class for a year, then reconnected again when we both started university. Having someone who had, in a way, witnessed different stages of my life made the collaboration feel particularly meaningful.
We worked closely together on the prints and accessories, and those elements became an important part of the collection's identity. While much of Fortuna explores aspiration, I also wanted to capture a sense of vibrancy and optimism. The prints were inspired by the visual culture of the Philippines, where color is often used boldly to attract attention and create a sense of energy.
I was particularly interested in things like jeepneys, which are often decorated with bright colors, graphics, and embellishments. There is something incredibly joyful and resourceful about that visual language. Bringing those influences into the collection allowed me to balance the more emotional and reflective themes with moments of celebration and personality.

How and when did you decide to become a fashion designer? 
I never really imagined that I would become a fashion designer. Growing up, I was always more interested in sports, but I always had this creative side that enjoyed things like graffiti and drawing. When I moved to London, I found myself in an environment where pursuing art felt like a possibility. At first, I think I saw it almost as an excuse to avoid more traditional academic subjects, but I quickly realised I genuinely enjoyed the process.
What drew me in was the way art allowed me to research and learn differently. I found that I could take personal experiences and memories around me and turn them into something concrete. It felt less like studying and more like discovering stories about myself and the world around me.
The turning point really came in college, when I had to make a decision about what I wanted to do in the future. Fashion became the place where all these interests came together.
Could you tell us more about your brand and how it has evolved over the years? What are your dreams for it?
I don't necessarily feel like I have a brand yet, but I see this moment after graduating as the beginning of building one.
During my years at university, I was really focused on developing a foundation. To me, this was a critical time allocated to understanding my visual language, my approach to storytelling, and what I want my work to communicate.
I think the most important thing for me is creating something that feels honest and personal. My dream is to be able to make a living from this and continue turning my vision into something tangible, creating work that carries a story but still exists naturally in people's everyday lives.
How has your design perspective shifted or remained since your last release?
It’s shifted in the way I approach motifs like elegance. A lot of my previous work was focused on more traditional ideas of beauty, with a strong focus on gowns and formal silhouettes. With Fortuna, I wanted to challenge that and explore what elegance could look like in a more urban, everyday context.
I started bringing in elements that feel more connected to how people actually dress: details like lowered or sagging waistbands, graphic elements, and more relaxed proportions. I was interested in creating a contrast between something that feels elevated and something that feels familiar.
I think the collection became a way of redefining what a gown or an elegant garment can be. Instead of seeing elegance as something distant or untouchable, I wanted to make it feel more accessible, lived-in, and connected to real people and their environments

Your brand's proudest moment so far?
I think my proudest moments so far have been seeing my work reach places I never imagined when I first started designing—having my pieces featured on magazine covers and being given the opportunity to dress creatives and artists, including Little Simz.
What are your long-term influences? What are the things that have inspired you for years?
The Philippines has been one of my biggest long-term influences, definitely. I think returning home and spending time with my family always gives me a deeper understanding of the stories, values, and visual culture that I’m interested in exploring through my work.
What I find most fascinating is looking at the small, everyday details that people might overlook in the Philippines, but to me are the things that make it feel like home. Those small moments hold so much character and memory.
A lot of my work comes from wanting to highlight those details and give them a new context. I’m interested in taking things that might seem ordinary and showing the meaning behind them to a wider audience.

What are your current influences? What's inspiring you right now?
Right now, my biggest influence is continuing to develop the ideas and research that I started exploring through Fortuna. I’m still interested in questioning behaviour and traditions around me and the small details within culture that often go unnoticed. I want to keep pushing those ideas further and see how they can evolve beyond one collection. I’m interested in continuing to explore the relationship between these factors.
Your design philosophy in one sentence?
To dress a body that lacks dressing.

MAKEUP Natalie Messino ILLUSTRATION Daniel Santangelo MODEL Dagi Nyok PHOTOGRAPHER'S ASSISTANT Kyl Valdez HEADPIECES Benny Andallo WARDROBE ASSISTANTS Trinity Allen and Stacey Marie

Behind the Façade: Lizandro Acera

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