One of the most exciting events of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Malta is when new designers get their chance to take the limelight in a collective exhibition of refreshing creativity.

Tonight’s event took us once again to the magnificent Xara Lodge on the foothills of Rabat and Mdina. Seating was increased from the previous night to accommodate all the friends, families and admirers of ten individual or groups of new designers. Let’s take a look at how bloggers sized up the collections:

Sunita Mukhi’s Label

Astonishingly unique and cool…got to inspect them up close and loved them to bits. They look as good on close inspection as they do on the catwalk. I particularly liked the little bags modelled by Alexia and the bright yellow backpack.
Caroline Fashion Stylist

This label was conceived in Malta, conceptualized in Africa and materialized in India. The collection consisted of tote bags, clutch bags, back packs: some with neon colours and others with more traditional colours. All the designs had a big eye motif  design which is used in some cultures as an icon to ward off the evil eye.
We are all Divas

This collection was a fun collection of bags all featuring an eye motif. Truth be told, I am not sure if this is inspired by the Maltese Luzzu’s eye , but I liked it nonetheless. “A sprinkle of opulence, a dash of luxury and a touch of the best that life has to offer.” I’d say this collection is a lot of fun and colour.
All Things Lady

I loved this collection of handbags, with the beautiful sparkly eyes and neon colours. Eye-popping and so much fun.
Style Me by Kira Drury

Samatha Muscat

Samatha’s designs are almost fairly-like, they make one think of forests and woods and magical places, perfect for spring and summer. I loved the use of natural nude colours and I loved the tailoring of the different pieces, so pretty !!
Caroline Fashion Stylist

Samantha Muscat this year presented us with a Bohemian Collection, which is totally different from last year’s Black & White Collection. She confessed in a recent interview that with this collection she feels she has gone back to her roots. Suede material prevailed.
We are all Divas

The nature inspired patterned pieces are my favourites from this collection especially this feathery silky one! I must admit, I felt that some of the pieces did not bring anything new, but three particular dresses were very flowy, summery and easy on the eyes.
All Things Lady

Bohemian spirit at its best. Think long maxi dresses, earth tones and florals. The cut of  the garments hug the female figure in all the right places.
Style Me by Kira Drury

Vassa Studio

Using Maltese wool and knitting & felting techniques passed on over generations, she presented a very exciting range of knitwear. Absolutely loved the darling knitted bags too!!! In particular, I have started obsessing over the white poncho and bag combo, it is brilliant to see such a diverse colour range in one piece of clothing and especially uncommon for knitwear.
Caroline Fashion Stylist

Her aim was to demonstrate how Malta’s natural resources can be turned into fashion. But unfortunately the designer didn’t reach her goal, at least not tonight. The collection was pretty dull and old fashioned in my opinion. Not what we are used to seeing on the runway, and most definitely not what we want to see.
We are all Divas

Nataly’s work was distinguished from the rest by the use of wool, in the most original ways. Her pieces from the not so wearable to rather wearable. “Uniquely handcrafted clothing with a creative use of local wool. Inspired by Maltese culture and her love for the craft.”
All Things Lady

Chunky knits handcrafted to perfection using local wool and inspired by Maltese culture. This designer is super gifted at making beautiful creation to keep you warm and stylish.
Style Me by Kira Drury

Marie Grech – GREMAR

Six pieces which varied from suits to evening dresses. Her pieces used different luxurious fabrics – lace, satin and silk chiffon. I was very impressed by the quality of the tailoring… I really really loved the dress modelled by Jessica Henry, such a beautiful cut, and such a beautiful vivid red colour!!!
Caroline Fashion Stylist

Girly, romantic and luxurious at the same time. From red lace dresses with embroidered flowers to navy blue dresses and a fitted and feminine beige suit. Marie Grech hit the nail right on the head by providing us with an all at once girly, demure and delicate collection.
We are all Divas

Delicate classical pieces which every woman ‘needs’ (more like, dreams to have) in her wardrobe. Honestly, the most stunning gowns and dresses I have seen in quite a while. Made me dream I had occasions I could wear them to, like red carpet events and galas!
All Things Lady

Lavish lace, rich colours, and beautiful tailoring. The detail on these creations is outstanding. I could imagine seeing these dresses on film stars at a red carpet event.
Style Me by Kira Drury

Jeff Francalanza

Presented six highly unique productions. He designed different corsets all with different elements such as pearls fur, feathers and chains,  these are  designed to be noticed!!  Don’t pick this designer if you wish to blend into the crowd!!  I was very impressed by his talent in just simple pure design and I admired his ability and courage to go for such a high level of uniqueness.

Caroline Fashion Stylist

Jeff showed us a collection of beautiful hand crafted corsets, I must admit I was pretty surprised as I didn’t even know he was a fashion designer, let alone this good. The collection was full of bling bling and extremely original. From broken mirror to fur, feathers & chains. Items you would see on lady gaga during one of her concerts or on a Broadway production. Way to go Jeff!  This kind of versatility and risque` style is what we starve for during these kind of events.
We are all Divas

I did like the collection very much however I wasn’t sure about the neckline of a few of them, however, the models were comfortable in them nonetheless. I was honestly fascinated by the mirror one! Not that it was something we have never seen before, but the shapes of the mirrors complimented the classical cut of the corset and made it look so geometrically steady and structured. I also loved the one with the pearls. Kinda reminded me of a classier Moulin Rouge!
All Things Lady

This collection is made up of six entirely different corsets, each have their own characters. From seductive red to tough-girl metal armour, theatrical, magnificent – works of art.
Style Me by Kira Drury

By Dali (Daniela Camilleri)

Today I fell head over heels in love with a leather creation made entirely from leather inside and out with amazing gold handles, designed to perfection (each handle is different so as to fit into each other and ensure high levels of comfort.
Caroline Fashion Stylist

Bags used to be just a stylish necessity, nowadays they are considered as objects of desire. Daniela Camilleri designed bags that reflect her personal style – and I loved it! I could easily see myself wearing one of these distinctive vintage bags. The collection was cast in a palette of browns, white and beige and each model wore a plain dress to leave all the attention to the gorgeous Bags by Dali.
We are all Divas
This collection featured nicely toned very wearable bags. The “carriers of personal belongings” (what a cute referent to handbags!) were rather varied in texture, size and form but they are the sort of bags I could see myself purchasing (you know, because I always need a new handbag!). I thought the collection wasn’t too out there which in my opinion is good, who needs a cone shaped handbag really?
All Things Lady

Forever chic handbags, practical yet they still retain a superb sense of style. For the working women who love fashion. Gorgeous leather and beautiful detail – handbag heaven!
Style Me by Kira Drury

Sef Farrugia

Sef presented her new collection ‘Casa Azul’, inspired mainly by Frida Kahlo’s poetry. The collection presented is wonderful, she certainly did not disappoint and lived up to all the high expectations.  Her trademark WONDERFULLY hand crafted knitwear was a big feature of course, this time with bright vivid colours that almost remind one of candy (in love with the pink!!). These were combined with amazing, highly original pieces with hand drawn illustrations and then digitally printed on very fine luxurious satin silks . For Sef Farrugia , her Illustrations are always a starting point to every collection. Hand cut hand sewn organza floral shapes were also a big part of the collection.
Caroline Fashion Stylist

Emerging fashion designer Sef Farrugia showcased a mixture of two different styles; from neutral coloured soft sheer designs to a strong aesthetic look. This collection featured colourful geometric prints mixed with knitwear and hand-sewn flowers; and also three pieces in soft flesh tones which were more ‘summery’ and light.
We are all Divas

We saw a lot of lines, patterns and a mixture of both which in some cases weren’t items you’d expect the general public to wear. Definitely an interesting choice for the runway though. I also adored the dress Sef herself wore and I felt it really suited her curly hair style and figure. My favourite item from this collection is the blue crop top.
All Things Lady

Crafted to perfection with a brilliant mix of textures and material. This collection reminded of a rich tribal princess, strong, powerful and oh so pretty – love!!
Style Me by Kira Drury

Creative Factory 7

Chroma 2013 is the name of this superb collection. Really, really high quality and so original !!! A very interesting mix of different prints ranging from geometric designs to pieces of recycled magazines, watercolour and ink brush strokes and 60’s geometric designs. There also seemed to be overlapping of different layers of clothing.
Caroline Fashion Stylist

What a magnificent, spirit-lifting collection! Everything reminded me a lot of fashion icon Twiggy’s sense of style and the 60s fashion era. Lots of feminine dresses with vibrant  colours and a youthful spirit. It was sprightly, playful but nonetheless a very strong collection. All the models wore wearing a multi-coloured head piece which I absolutely adored. This show was fun, frivolous and unbelievably well crafted.
We are all Divas

I cannot get over how awesome this collection was and there are so many things I liked about it. They really are a creative factory. Their head pieces were so cute, I couldn’t believe it.
All Things Lady

Designs inspired by visual arts – this collection is printed bold and colourful. It reminds me of cute little Japanese girls. I love the cuts and super cool headwear. This design collective have a great attention to detail – two massive thumbs up!
Style Me by Kira Drury

Celeste & Pavli

This collaboration was one I was very excited for. I have seen Celeste’s work previously and I know it is of a very high quality, I also know Pavli and love her sense of style, so this collaboration always had great promise!! They presented a collection that is somehow both feminine and androgynous at the same time. The cartoon patterns are a lot of fun and very quirky, although such a collection might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I liked it and I loved the socks and cap detail; reminds one to stop taking life seriously and have fun with fashion and go ahead – break some rules !!.
Caroline Fashion Stylist

The collection showcased by these two young designers was very hip and urban chic. Materials were all printed with an old fashioned comic design.  The designs were attractive but I was a bit disappointed by the fact that they were poorly crafted. Because it is the attention to detail that makes a collection a success.
We are all Divas

It was also the only collection that had a male model, who in this case was wearing a bathing suit with a detail at the end of his trunks. I liked the collection but I feel that the designers could have experimented a bit more maybe with another pattern or a few cuts that are not something we see every day like the skater skirt.
All Things Lady

Fun, fresh, and totally wearable. Love the retro comic print spotted throughout the collection and the the trucker hat and socks and sandals combo gave this look a quirky edge.
Style Me by Kira Drury

Ritienne Zammit

Presented a collection based mainly on two styles that are very in trend right now – punk and baroque. The contrast was lovely, the over-the-top opulence of the baroque element using elements such as sequins, plum colours teamed with the over-the-top grunge of punk using plastic, and of course those amazing metal headress commissioned especially for the occasion. The result was such an interesting combination !!
Caroline Fashion Stylist

Collection featuring stylish innovations with a punk vibe mixed with Roman baroque fashion. Every outfit comprised of a plastic outfit with baroque pattern, embroidered silver studs and maroon outlining whilst waists were encased by thick maroon belts. This collection showcased combined serenity and edge and was completely different to what we have seen in the other collections.
We are all Divas

This was not something you would wear to school or to a wedding but it was visually interesting to see nonetheless. The contrast between the sheer elegance of the baroque pieces with the spiked plastic material was a very hard-edge, nicely softened up. What I loved was the sheer material from the baroque pieces, and by loved I mean, I want a dress out of that material, NOW please.
All Things Lady

Wow sums it up! One of my favourite collections. Ritienne is one talented lady. Based on a contrast between the romance of Baroque and the edginess of punk, this is warrior fashion. Metals, sequins and big shoulders – jaw dropping and in a good way!
Style Me by Kira Drury

You may also like to read Boffism blog on this show here, and take a look at The Clouded Revolution blog here.

Click here for photo gallery