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3 ART maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 JULY 2026 Heritage Malta launches fashion exhibition inspired by The Grand Master's Palace HERITAGE Malta, in collab- oration with fashion designers Charles & Ron, has launched a fashion exhibition inspired by the tapestries of the Grand Mas- ter's Palace. The exhibition, titled Inspired by History: From Tapestries to Contemporary Fashion, features six gowns displayed in the corri- dor leading to the palace's Tapes- try Chamber. Both the tapestries and the chamber have recently undergone restoration. Charles & Ron have generously donat- ed one of the gowns to Heritage Malta, where it will become part of the national textile collection under the agency's care. The exhibited gowns form part of Charles & Ron's GIOIA collection, created for the Fall/ Winter 2021/22 season. The col- lection draws inspiration from the Grand Master's Palace tap- estries, which formed part of the gioia of Grand Master Ramon Perellos – his gift to the Order of St John upon his appointment. Due to restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandem- ic, the collection was never pre- sented publicly. This year – as Heritage Malta celebrates both the return of the tapestries from Belgium, where they were re- stored, and the completion of the restoration of the Tapestry Chamber – an ideal opportuni- ty arose for Heritage Malta and Charles & Ron to collaborate on this exhibition. The partnership also included a fashion show in one of the corridors of the Grand Master's Palace, during which the complete GIOIA collection was presented. The exhibition, which will run until the end of August, cele- brates the rich imagery of the exotic flora and fauna woven into the historic tapestries while offering fresh interpretations of three particular scenes depict- ed within them. In doing so, the designers have bridged past and present, creating visuals that are both rooted in heritage and strikingly contemporary. The gown that will remain with- in the national textile collection is inspired by the tapestry scene known as The Striped Horse. It is a hand-beaded and hand-em- broidered evening gown fea- turing long sleeves, a funnel neckline, and a figure-hugging silhouette that gently flares to- wards the hem. Its colour palette offers a contemporary reinter- pretation of the original tapestry tones. The original forest-green tones have been digitally ma- nipulated and translated into rich shades of pink, creating a modern visual dialogue between historic textile art and contem- porary fashion design. During the inauguration of the exhibition and the presentation of the donated gown, Heritage Malta's Chief Executive Officer, Noel Zammit, stated that this is the second time in just a few years that Charles & Ron have made a donation to the nation- al collection. He thanked them sincerely, noting that such gifts are a vote of confidence that strengthens Heritage Malta's de- termination to continue fulfill- ing its mission for the benefit of the nation's heritage. He added that the exhibition is a perfect and practical ex- ample of the message Heritage Malta seeks to convey when it states that our heritage is alive. "When we say this, we mean that in a world that is constantly and rapidly changing, our heritage reminds us of who we are and where we come from, while of- fering us a bridge of continuity into the future. We also mean that it is people who bring his- toric sites, palaces and museums to life. Charles & Ron succeeded in demonstrating all of this when their models wore history," said Zammit.