A few hours before the show, and the pressure is on. The atmosphere backstage is a mix of tension and excitement. While hairstylists and make-up artists work to complete each model’s look, designers perfect their silhouettes to the millimetre.
This year, the shows will only include local designers.
This is a “a very special thing, to create a show of only local designers; this sets the 2025 show apart from recent years, because it’s been a while since we’ve had a show of exclusively Maltese fashion houses”, says Elaine Galea, Head of Backstage.
Backstage has its own choreography. Although seemingly less glamorous than the polished runway, with open make-up palettes spread across tables and the sharp smell of hairspray, there is an energy, unlike anything seen on the runway.
Speaking to a designer, as well as make-up artists and hairstylists working behind the scenes, it was clear that each one has not only skill but also a deep passion for their craft.
“…the idea was to fuse Italian and Maltese heritage through the use of intricate lace”
Last night there was an intense atmosphere and focus on handicraft including in a very exciting collection, Captain’s Cut by Keith Caruana, titled ‘Minsuġa’.
Keith spoke passionately about his influences, sharing an anecdote about meeting an old artisan in Gozo, who worked in macramé. The designer was then inspired to combine bizzilla [Maltese lace] into leather. The valiant effort to revive the four-centuries-old bizzilla tradition by preserving it in cowhide leather preserved both its quality and dignity.
The stylist behind this collection and prior projects spanning three years, Linda Boranga, explained: “The idea was to fuse Italian and Maltese heritage through the use of intricate lace”.
The Italo-Maltese collaboration sought to produce timeless pieces with long-lasting quality, with an emphasis on preserving our heritage.
“During this conversation, Keith also announced the launch of a new shop located in a renovated historic building in Rabat”
Sustainability is the backbone of the brand, from natural vegetable-based dyes to a notable lack of machinery.
In the designer’s own words, the aim behind the collection was to “highlight a lost story”.
The story lost refers to both the idea of passing the bizzilla down through generations of mothers and daughters, and the technique of producing the bizzilla used in the collection, which has unfortunately been lost over time. The leather is brought from a consorzio which guarantee ethical practice and quality material.
During this conversation, Keith also announced the launch of a new shop located in a renovated historic building in Rabat. In it, he aims to continue embracing Maltese heritage and identity by preserving high-quality craftsmanship, while incorporating these refined techniques into up-to-date style.
In the meantime, the room was filled with both established and emerging hairstylists and make-up artists. Some, like Kristjana Scicluna, had just completed their studies and were working on the shows for the first time.
Following direction from Elaine Galea, Kristjana created natural make-up looks for the Ivory & Co models. She started with the eye make-up and painted natural looks, and described the atmosphere backstage as “extremely exciting” and “couldn’t wait to see what each designer had to offer”.
Yazmin Zammit is a hairstylist, also experiencing working backstage at Malta Fashion Week for the first time. She described her experience working in Berlin Fashion Week and how she tried to incorporate international, up-to-date styles and techniques into her looks. This included the ‘wet-look’ and ‘mess-it-up hair’.
Yasmin also expressed the stressful element of the hours before the show, but added that “working in a team definitely keeps the energy up”.
“…drawing inspiration from the gardens and coffee shop of Villa Bologna, in terms of colour palette and handcrafted quality”
The timeless quality of Gagliardi’s collection was highlighted by Petra Vella, a brand representative. Discussing how each piece is produced locally, Petra emphasised this collection’s take on heritage and this season’s trending colour palette.
“This collection lies at the heart of our values,” she noted, describing how “the collection promotes the use of linen-cotton for a distinctly summery aesthetic, drawing inspiration from the gardens and coffee shop of Villa Bologna, in terms of colour palette and handcrafted quality”.
And so, last night months of planning, teamwork and creativity came together in a vibrant display. Behind every look was a dedicated team of passionate professionals. It was overall, a great start to this year’s Malta Fashion Week and Awards.
Tonight, we can expect perhaps edgier pieces from RAD, Vanusia Hair Design and Parascandalo.
