Filipino-American designer Jean-Paul Pietrus creates eyewear so extravagant, it belongs in a museum. Recently, he hosted a trunk show for FDL Editions, bringing his gem-encrusted creations to a new audience
The Renaissance gave the world a great many things—Michelangelo’s David, Botticelli’s Venus, Leonardo’s flying machines that never quite took off. But high jewelry eyewear inspired by the era? That, surprisingly, took until 2017. Jean-Paul Francis de Lara Petrus is a Filipino-American photographer-turned-jeweler who did what no Medici, merchant, or modern-day maison had ever attempted: turn sunglasses into objets d’art, dripping in diamonds and draped in gold, fit for the gilded elite.
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His eponymous brand, Francis de Lara, is considered ‘the world’s first fine jewelry-eyewear house’, a niche so rarefied it practically gleams above the luxury market. And yet, its DNA feels familiar, as if its designs had stepped right out of a Renaissance portrait and onto the bridge of a collector’s nose. That’s not a coincidence. This entire venture was born in Florence, in the halls of the Uffizi Gallery, when the sun struck Petrus square in the eye—literally.
“I put my sunglasses on and thought, oh my gosh, they need to be Renaissance sunglasses,” he recalls. It was a moment of revelation so dramatic that Caravaggio himself might have painted it.
The name Francis de Lara is a tribute. Petrus chose it as an homage to his Filipino lineage, pulling from his own name and his mother’s maiden name. “Francis” comes from his middle name, while “de Lara” honors his mother’s side of the family. It’s a subtle nod, engraving personal history into a label now synonymous with artisanal luxury.
A Vision in Gold and Gemstones
Petrus was already a successful fashion and beauty photographer with nearly three decades behind the lens when he took an unexpected sabbatical—nine years, to be exact—to study jewelry in Florence. His training at Metallo Nobile immersed him in the techniques of Renaissance craftsmanship, but there was one problem: everything he learned seemed to lead back to rings, necklaces, and the usual suspects of fine jewelry. That wasn’t quite it.
“Everyone was making amazing rings and necklaces and things,” he says. “But no one was making jewelry sunglasses.”
So he did. Each pair, sculpted by hand, is a masterwork of craftsmanship, adorned with gold filigree and gemstone teardrops. The earliest creations carried price tags that could give even seasoned collectors pause—but that was the intent. These were objets d’art.
Still, exclusivity is a delicate balance. During the pandemic, as people sought out investment pieces with longevity, he was approached with a request: “We love your work, but can you do something we can wear every day?” That’s how FDL Editions took shape—a diffusion line in gold-plated titanium, accented with discreet diamonds and gemstone drops. The Renaissance influence remains, just distilled into something less museum case, more daily indulgence.
Recently, Petrus hosted a trunk show held at the JANINA for Jul Dizon Boutique at the Peninsula Manila Hotel. It’s clear that the future of Francis de Lara is looking gilded indeed, with a local fanbase that’s equally captivated by the artistry and exclusivity of his pieces.
The Filipino Influence
Petrus is quick to acknowledge that his heritage has played a role in his approach to design, though not in the ways one might expect. Having spent most of his life in the US, Italy, and now London, his inspirations come from a global mix of artistic and cultural touchpoints. Yet one Filipino craft stood out to him: wood carving.
“Wood carving is such an integral and interesting part of Philippine arts,” he says, explaining why he began incorporating wood into his pieces—a material rarely associated with high jewelry. He’s now sourcing wood for FDL Editions, with a vision to create “wooden gemstones”, a concept that sounds almost paradoxical but makes perfect sense within his world of material alchemy.
The Heart of the Five Elements is a wooden piece that refuses to be just one thing. A brooch at first glance, but with a flick of intention, it becomes a pendant. The dripping gold and emerald drops detach, morphing into earrings. The chain, worn on its own, stands apart. Transformative in form, opulent in composition—diamonds, sapphire, aquamarine, tourmaline, rhodolite, garnet, and at its center, a striking baroque emerald. An art piece, in every sense.
Embroidery, another pillar of Filipino craftsmanship, has also caught his attention. “I’m really inspired by the embroidery in Barongs and translating those motifs into harder materials,” he muses. It’s an idea still in development, but one that could push his designs into an entirely new dimension of heritage storytelling.
The Future of Francis de Lara
Despite his work being worn by collectors, Petrus isn’t chasing mass appeal. Growth, yes. Global expansion, sure. But he has no interest in becoming another corporate luxury behemoth churning out soulless products.
“I never want to be a huge corporate commercial brand. I want to always be an artisanal brand—successful enough to grow and produce things that come from my dreams and imagination.”
In this case, those dreams just happen to come adorned with gemstones, perched on the bridge of a nose, staring directly into the sun.
Photos: FRANCIS DE LARA (via website)
