Designer Maria Cutajar at Malta Fashion Week 2019
Local designer Maria Cutajar has once again showcased her work at this year’s Malta fashion week and reminded her audience of what the art of fashion is all about.
MFWA 2019
This year’s Malta Fashion Week and Awards are sponsored by Land Rover, Jaguar (Muscat Motors), supported by Fashion TV Gaming Group. Malta Fashion Awards is sponsored by Coca-Cola and supported by MedAsia Cabs. This season’s fashion week sponsors are Aldo, AirMalta, Malta Tourism Authority, Keune, Hilton, and Fashion Vodka. Local designers are supported by the Creative Partnership Agreement and International designers are supported by the Valletta Cultural agency.
Maria Cutajar
It is no secret that I am a big fan of Maria Cutajar’s work. From the very first time I saw her designs, I was hooked. The emotions cooled off and last year, during Malta fashion week, I viewed her show with a clear mind. She once again wowed her audience to tears (literally). This year was extra special for me, as Maria Cutajar had created an outfit just for me, which I proudly wore to her fashion show at MFWA 2019.
Maria’s work is a combination of creativity, technical knowledge of the art, and incredible craftsmanship. Today, fashion can be divided into so many different groups and it is not the first time that whilst brands try to split and diversify with their selection of items, certain elements get lost along the way. For instance, many items we see told, remind us of just how significant materials that were used in the past were. It is not the first time that fashion items begin losing their quality after a few washes. Another example is stitch work. I have begun appreciating items I still have, from a decade ago, which look pretty much the same as when I bought them. It is rare for me to come across stitch work and good quality materials in today’s fashion world.
So why am I going on about the cost of fashion today? Because I have never been disappointed with Maria Cutajar’s work. Her many years of studying and practicing the craft are reflected in each piece. Taking a look at her items, you will notice how she has maintained the importance of quality and nurtures her abilities towards the craft.
Apart from the quality of Maria Cutajar’s collections, what takes me over is her creative vision. Keep in mind that creativity is not a solid concept which one either has or does not. Creativity has somewhat of a scale and in today’s world, many tend to choose commerce over the risk of fulfilling a creative idea. Here is where Maria has always been on the opposite spectrum, where she does not only listen to her creative ideas but puts everything to materialize them. From her collection up to her presentation, she is fully dedicated to giving her creative vision a chance to come to life.
La Couleur Invisible by Maria Cutajar
This season’s collection was inspired by the 1942 film Casablanca. The film was shot in black and white, which is an aspect that Maria Cutajar focused on from a very interesting angle.
The entire collection of La Couleur Invisible is an infusion of colours, which were inspired by the Moroccan culture, together with the elements of the 40s era. Her concept was to bring the colours which are present in the film but not seen by the audience.
La Couleur Invisible is a collection which as the name suggests, has an emphasis on the combination of vibrant colours. Tones that one may otherwise not think of combining, were carefully blended by Maria, resulting in colour harmony and elegance. And it did not just stop at the colours. Certain details, such as prints, stones, golden twisted cords and coloured stitches, together with beautiful custom made head accessories were added, giving that perfect final touch.
The hair of the models was done by Antoinette Cutajar and the team, using Keune products. The hairstyles were a perfect match to the stunning hypnotizing makeup, with an accent to the eyes, done by Talitha Dimech and team, using Evagarden makeup.
I can’t express just how honoured I am to have been wearing a custom dress by Maria herself during her fashion show. Maria Cutajar is not simply a fashion designer. She is an artist and I feel very lucky to have had the chance to discover her art, work with her on an incredible project, and be present during the manifestation of yet another incredible idea that she has brought to life.
Paparazzi shots at MFWA 2019
Photography by Justin Ciappara | Mark Soler msfotography
If you’d like to check out more of Maria’s work, make sure to check out the collaborative project which got published.