Local clothes design label does well in London show

Clothes designer Annabelle Spiteri looked on proudly as seven models wearing her outfits for the Top Model UK’s Fashion International show placed among this year’s leading finalists.

In its exciting debut abroad, Maltese clothes design label Kaii Couture showcased 32 outfits at the high street fashion show held late last month.

Kaii Couture director Ms Spiteri, 38, was one of the 21 international designers taking part in the show at Hilton Metropole on Edgware Road in London.

“We had to keep our feet on the ground and not build castles in the sky. All we wished for was that the models feel confident in the outfits and that the design label receives positive feedback so that we can market the outfits internationally,” she said.

Kaii Couture was picked from among other local designers when Ms Spiteri launched an exclusive 10-outfit line called Purity during her first clothes show in August 2010 organised by InFashion Malta.

According to Ms Spiteri, the clothes line stood out from the other commercial outfits on the day it was exhibited at the London show.

“We started working on this line in July, and the longing for coolness and freshness is expressed through a fusion of texture, materials and cuts enhanced with feminine characteristics,” she said.

For the grand finale, Ms Spiteri showcased an exclusive 12-outfit line called Empression, inspired by the Far East.

Six of the models who hit the catwalk in Kaii Couture’s Empression placed between second and seventh in the Top Model Worldwide Category. A Maltese model, Amy Camilleri, was also crowned as the second runner-up in the same competition.

Irish girl Emma Little, who won the Natural Skin Beauty Award, and Best Runway awardee Ruth Oti from Nigeria wore Kaii Couture outfits to receive their awards.

The feedback received so far has been very positive for the Kaii Couture team. An excited Ms Spiteri said one of the models in her outfit stole the show as onlookers asked her to stop and pose for a photo.

InFashion Malta director Kristoff Zammit Ciantar, who formed part of the judging panel, said it was very rewarding to see local talent among such world-renowned designers.

Among other prizes, the winners of the fashion show received a five-night photo shoot trip in Malta.

Although the Kaii Couture team has had a few busy months, the experience was “too short” for the enthusiastic Maltese designer.

Ms Spiteri, who has custom-tailored her own clothes for the last 24 years, said the brand will develop other clothes lines to market them abroad.

“We also have some surprises for the near future,” she added with a wink.