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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 6 MARCH 2016 17 News Inga Boissevain's novel at all leading book shops @ €8.99 MARTINA BORG COLOURFUL church lights illu- minating the night skies on sum- mer nights formed the seed of in- spiration for the dynamic duo of Maltese fashion designers Charles and Ron in the crafting of their stunning Autumn/Winter collec- tion. "We always try to use elements of Mediterranean and Maltese heritage and architecture in our designs," Ron Maarschalkerweerd told MaltaToday upon returning from New York, where the design- ers showed their new collection during the highly acclaimed New York Fashion Week on 16 Febru- ary. The designers said that their col- lection, 'Saints, Love and Mediter- ranean lights' was shown as part of the Art Hearts Fashion Week and was held at the Neo Gothic land- mark, the Angel Orensanz Foun- dation. "Although it's now the fourth time we have shown our designs at New York Fashion Week, it con- tinues to feel unreal, like you have to pinch yourself to remember it's actually happening," he said. Ron explained that although the arduous preparation for such shows had become something of a routine, it always filled them with a sense of pride to be able to repre- sent Maltese designs on an inter- national stage. "We draw inspiration from our culture and heritage, while ensur- ing an element of universal appeal in our design," he said, describing the process behind their garments. Ron added, however, that people liked designs to tell a story, and their interest always peaked when designers explained what inspired many of the motifs and colours in a collection. "If you look at the island from a distance at night in summer, you see the distinctive coloured lights outlining the shape of the various churches," Ron said, adding that they had tried to capture this char- acteristic in their garments. He added that an ecclesiastical theme was also sustained through colour choices among others, throughout the collection. Ron added that the theme had in fact pervaded the colour choices for their designs with cardinal pink, and black, yellow and orange featuring heavily. "We also made use of capes in many of our designs, as well as ac- tual patterns taken from St Helen's church in Birkirkara," he said, adding that the church had also inspired a crown motif and words like 'Empress' and 'Saint' on acces- sories such as belts and bags. Asked about the feedback re- ceived for their collection, Ron said that they had received an overwhelmingly positive response, with a number of people asking when their designs would be avail- able for purchase, but he hastened to add that they would naturally have to wait until autumn to be able to purchase these items. "We already have a number of followers in New York, including journalists and celebrities among others," he said, adding that Or- ange the New Black actress Jessica Pimentel was among those in at- tendance at the show, wearing a design from their Fall 15 Collec- tion. As one of the country's leading fashion houses, Ron explained that they were proud of having the opportunity to represent the local fashion scene on an international scale. "The local fashion scene has defi- nitely developed significantly over the years, and we hope that we have set a certain pace and trend in showing local designers that it's possible to grow even outside our shores," he explained. He added that it wasn't just the industry in itself and the opportu- nities it offered that had led to the changes in the local scene, but that the change would not have been achieved without the accompany- ing shift in the public's mentality. "People have become increas- ingly appreciative and supportive of local talent," he said, adding that a lot still needed to be done to make international recogni- tion more of a possibility. Although you might think showing at the prestigious event would mark the pinnacle of a de- signer's year, Ron explained that the fashion house was also plan- ning to participate in New York Fashion Week again in Septem- ber, as well as holding an exhibi- tion at Galeries Lafayette in Paris in April. "We won't just be focusing on international events," he said, adding that the designers would also hold a show in Malta later this year. "We haven't held a fashion show locally in a very long time, and we think it's time to do so," he added. Charles and Ron take the unmistakable hallmarks of the Maltese church on the runway at New York Fashion Week Accessories bearing words like 'Saint', and the use of capes complemented the ecclesiastical theme chosen for the garments The collection was inspired by Church lights against the night sky, and it featured ecclesiastical inspired motifs and colours like cardinal pink, red and yellow. Two of Malta's leading designers, Charles and Ron, have shown their designs for the fourth time at the prestigious Art Hearts Fashion show as part of New York Fashion Week FESTA SKYLINE ILLUMINATES NEW YORK FASHION WEEK FESTA SKYLINE ILLUMINATES NEW YORK FASHION WEEK FESTA SKYLINE ILLUMINATES NEW YORK FASHION WEEK