Marco Parascandalo, a sure favorite amongst the local crowd in Malta, put on quite a show yesterday at Birgu’s breathtaking Fort St Angelo. Guests arrived, wine glasses in hand, and were seated around a circular runway. Center stage was an arrangement of electronic music equipment, in preparation for the Maltese group Crux.
As the band began playing their pulsating set of dark synth pop music, models entered the runway. Dressed in contrasting trademark black and white garments the models slowly circled the rows of guests, displaying Parscandalo’s androgynous line of multi-gender clothing.
Decorative touches added a dash of mystery to the brands already cryptic reputation. Streaks of red, white, and gold paint gave shimmering pops of color to black garments. Starkly contrasting orange and black fringe hung from varying places such as a turtleneck on an all-black sleeveless shift, a black bucket bag, and cascading down the front of an all-black tunic. Black fringe dangled from the hem of one leg on a pair of cropped trousers. Leather played its role in the line as a edge finishing and as a wide chic waist belt. ‘Skandlu’ patches with iconic black and white symbols decorated the back of a black tracksuit jacket. Long lustrous black ribbons blew gallantly in the strong breeze atop the fort and branded ‘Parascandalo’ ribbons decorated several garments.
Parascandalo’s fabric choices both broadened the variety of the line and pulled it all together. Dapperly thin white pinstripes drew vertically down a black jumpsuit and a black tunic length button-down. A pair of pinstripe trousers were hemmed with a wide layer of black fishnet. As sheers are all the rage now, I was pleased to see Parascandalo’s take on the trend. Striped sheer wide tops, shorts, and tunics fit loosely on the models, creating a casually daring aesthetic.
The statement piece in my opinion was a caged shirt – a skeleton of a short sleeve with a long zipper down the back. A strong, yet deconstructed appearance made this garment a powerful piece with much artistic expression.
Parascandalo’s daring and sensitive personality make him an artistically intrepid designer. The creations that he comes up with every year continuously turn heads and please his audience. This year’s cutting edge ideas and spellbinding looks moved Parascandalo’s prestige even higher than his already immense reputation.
Show review written by Sacha Kinser (Founder of ColorMeCashmere) supported by Pierre Mizzi (LogixCreative team) for #MFWA2016.
A word from the bloggers…
“A total contrast to the previous night’s shows full of couture garments, the Parascandalo brand offers singular street wear looks that merge wearability, durability, and androgyny.” –Style in Transit
“Daringly sheer garments and that caged leather ‘top’ are truly stand out pieces, but my absolute favourite piece has got to be that black dress with black and orange fringe detailing.” –Every Beauty Addict’s Bible
“Good beats, good vibes, great collection. Wait! That’s an understatement. Parascandalo, let me hug you, because it was PERFECTO!” –Bibiche
“What I love about this artist’s work is that the collection is very wearable and although his work tends to lean towards the male market, Parascandalo has managed to spin his design to lure in the feminine side.” –Twin Bloggers
“He gets my ten (or is it twelve?) points for presentation – the music, model choices, hair, pace – all was really on point and everything simply synched.” –Caroline’s Fashion Styling
“He has become one of the most respected and appreciated designers.” –The Fashion Trend