Most of Malta Fashion Week’s events show us next year’s or next season’s fashion trends, but tonight’s show took us back 5600 years to appreciate the creative talents of our ancestors, who it turns were much more artistic than we may have ever thought.

The Mercedes-Benz showroom at Lija was converted to part Archaeology Museum, part fashion show venue and part reception space, for this evening’s fascinating show; which was the result of years of intense research.

Malta and Gozo’s Megalithic Temples are slowly revealing secrets about a population who was clever, artistic, creative and talented with an eye for detail and a taste for the delicate and the exotic. An exhibition of genuine and important archaeological artefacts that were discovered at various Prehistoric Temple sites displayed various interesting pieces that form part of the permanent display at Heritage Malta’s National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.

This exhibition was followed by a fashion show of replica prehistoric objects worn by individuals who lived on the Maltese islands some 5600 years ago. Although made from very modest materials by today’s standards, the level of creativity and attention to detail cannot go unnoticed. Limestone, animal skin and seashells were combined to create intricate necklaces, head pieces, arm and leg ornaments that were probably worn as status symbols of some sort.

During the event, Heritage Malta also launched a 3D virtual reconstruction of facial features based on one of the prehistoric skulls (over 5,000 years old) found at the Xagħra Stone Circle in Gozo. This was a unique opportunity for those present as it revealed, for the very first time, what one of our ancestors actually looked like. The surpise on the faces of those present was evident as the face revealed was much closer to what one would expect from a woman of our day and age rather than that of a person who lived on the islands over 5,000 years ago… A real case of coming face to face with our Ancestors!

See Caroline Fashion Stylist blog post here for more information.

Access the photo gallery.