Today I would like to introduce you to another nearly animal-free Maltese designer. Her name is Rosemarie Abela and she loves neoprene, a synthetic material that she finds it to be ideal for all seasons. The reason is that neoprene is not warm for summer and not cold for winter. Hmm, maybe I should try it before I try bamboo clothes.
Rosemarie Abela’s Ethics
Rosemarie Abela’s newest collection Al-Magrib is more animal-free than her previous ones. She is making sure of that. The only thing struggle she has in doing so is finding a silk alternative which is as soft and flowing as the actual silk. Rosemarie Abela did try using alternatives but they are not that close as the real silk and even her customers prefer more the softness of the real silk than that of the alternative. So if you happen to know of a silk alternative very close to silk, she is open to suggestions. Rosemarie Abela’s Al-Magrib has only 2 dresses that contain a bit of silk. The rest of the collection is animal-free.
Rosemarie Abela’s Al-Magrib
My favourite looks from Rosemarie Abela’s Al-Magrib happened not to include any animal-derived materials:
About Rosemarie Abela
Inspired by her mother from a young age, Rosemarie Abela’s penchant for art and textiles saw her leaving Malta for Florence at the age of 17. After being accepted by the prestigious Polimoda University, Ms Abela graduated in 2014 with a menswear collection which received rave reviews.
On her return to Malta later that year, Abela opened a small studio and took up work with local menswear brand, Bortex. 2014 also saw Ms Abela taking part in her first ever Malta Fashion Week where she won the award for the best new designer. After taking a short break, Abela was back with a bang in May 2017 with her collection La Cupola, which showcased Abela’s talented use of different fabrics and textures to dramatic effect.
Drawing inspiration from the Mosta Dome, Maltese skyline and neo-classical period, Abela used larger than life silhouettes embellished with embroidery and tassels. Following La Cupola’s success, Abela was asked to represent Malta at the October 2017 Serbian Fashion Week.
Thank you to the Mercedez Benz Malta Fashion Week for the opportunity to write about these events. Also, thank you to Rosemarie Abela for dedicating a few minutes to explain to me her brand and answering my cruelty-free questions.
As you already know this is my second attempt at writing about a cruelty-free fashion week, so your feedback would be appreciated. Did you find this post interesting? What else should I include or what should I exclude? I would love to know your thoughts.