The Valletta 2018 Foundation in collaboration with the Mercedes-Benz Malta Fashion Week announced this year’s seven-day Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week will for the first time take place in its majority in Valletta.

Valletta 2018 collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Malta

Addressing a press conference this morning on the steps leading up to Hastings Garden Valletta, one of the locations that will host this year’s Fashion Week, Valletta 2018 Chairman Jason Micallef said the event is happening with the support of the Valletta 2018 Foundation, as the annual fashion event will form part of the events in the run-up to Valletta’s European Capital of Culture in 2018.  He said he was pleased to announce that iconic locations such as St George’s Square, the National Library, the Mediterranean Conference Centre and Fort St Elmo will provide a magical backdrop to the prestigious annual fashion appointment.

Jason Micallef noted that the collaboration between Valletta 2018 Foundation and Fashion Week extended to a number of levels.  Art and design students from Leeuwarden, in the Netherlands, which is Valletta’s co-European Capital of Culture in 2018, will be collaborating with students from the Institute of Art and Design within the MCAST, working on a collaborative project with students in Malta during Fashion Week.

The Hon Owen Bonnici, Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government said: “For the first time, the government is not only acknowledging the fashion sector as a primary creative industry, but has also made it part of its cultural calendar. The electoral manifesto includes two specific measures on the sector; the promotion of local talent and another which specifically treats about the Malta Fashion Week”.

“This event, which has developed over the years, intertwines the economic aspect with the artistic element,” Minister Bonnici continued. “The Malta Fashion Week has become a catalyst as part of our island’s fashion industry and the government is determined to see the sector grow and reach its potential, through high calibre events such as this”.

Adrian J. Mizzi, Executive Producer of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Malta expressed his satisfaction on the announced collaboration with the Valletta 2018 Foundation. This will result in having several fashion week events held at several prestigious locations in Valletta he said. This is the fourth edition of the Malta Fashion Week, a national scale event that has developed into an annual celebration of Maltese and international fashion.

Forming part of the international circuit of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks worldwide, the week-long celebration of fashion, heritage and culture serves as a platform attracting international publicity for Maltese talent and all that Malta has to offer in this sector. The Mercedes-Benz Malta Fashion Week will once again include the Malta Fashion Awards which have been organised since 1997. Malta Fashion Awards aim to reward local talent working in Malta’s fashion industry. Over the years the scope of this event has expanded to include related areas of creativity and wellbeing.

Valletta Deputy Mayor Christian Micallef, said it is an honour for the Valletta Local Council to be hosting the Malta Fashion Week, being held in Valletta for the first time. Valletta’s colourful history brings together several different periods and styles. It is therefore important that such a highly regarded event in the local cultural calendar is held in Baroque Valletta. The Local Council is supporting the Malta Fashion Week as this continues to shape Malta’s rich cultural identity.

The Malta Fashion Week will run between the 25th and 31st May 2014 and will take place in various locations mainly around Valletta, and is supported by The Valletta Local Council.