Maltese fashion house penetrates Italian market

The bridal collections of Beatrix designers Charles and Ron are being produced and sold in Italy - a major breakthrough for the Maltese fashion house - following their participation in an international weddings and evening wear fair in Milan.

The trend is for Maltese brides-to-be to travel abroad to buy their wedding dresses but they may find themselves choosing from among Maltese designs from shops in Italy.

"The international doors have finally opened up to a Maltese fashion house. The rest is up to us," the designers had said at the time when their Birkirkara atelier was seeking broader horizons, which have now materialised.

The opportunity had practically fallen into their laps - when the Beatrix label was approached by companies that produce collections for other designers and had expressed interest in producing theirs.

Underlying the excitement at the time was also an element of fear as the Maltese designers knew that taking their business to another level would involve investment and risk. But they always intended to go ahead with it.

The designer duo recently launched their 2006 bridal collection, now called Charles & Ron, at the Bouquet fair in Milan. It consists of 20 wedding dresses, which are "made in Italy".

During their trip, Charles and Ron also visited the atelier in Avellino near Naples, where their dresses are being made and where they joined in to carry out the final touches before the collection was passed on to the representative to be sold at the top bridal boutiques in Italy.

Meeting the team of seamstresses, who were working on their dresses, was an experience for the Maltese designers, who exchanged techniques.

"It was great fun for us to be in a different working environment: the seamstresses were honoured that the designers of the collection were working with them while Charles had a field day as the actual work on the clothes is what he loves most about our job," Ron, the business side of the fashion label, said.

During the four-day fair, the designers increased their international contacts and their new collection is to be featured in a variety of Italian wedding magazines, including Vogue Sposa, Sposabella and Domina Sposa.

While in Milan, the Charles & Ron collection was chosen from among 39 brands for a photo shoot with Italian photographer Anna Fabroni and Milan model Federica Servi, featuring four of its dresses at a newly opened modern hotel in Milan. The shoot is being featured in Superbe Sposa and the photos are also being used in their upcoming brochure, which is being designed by the Italian photographer herself.