Not every ancient cardigan and tattered frock should find its way into the rejects bin. Maria Muscat, seamstress and re-inventor, tells Ramona Depares about project Babettopolis, where recycling meets style.
Maria Muscat’s workshop is full of the most whimsical objects. Objects that seem to belong in a fairytale world, where everything we wear – from the simplest hairband to the most elaborate skirt – is pretty and makes you want to reach out and touch. A world of tassels and olde-worlde satin and silk. Of colourful beads, complicated embroidery and weird and wonderful icons, such as you might find in your grandmother’s old and forgotten cabinet.
Which is hardly any surprise, given that a substantial amount of fabrics and materials do indeed come from the old and forgotten cabinet belonging to Maria’s grandmother and sundry other volunteers who know better than to throw away old treasures.
Ever since Babettopolis – the online blog “where old objects are re-invented, the used undergoes transformation and yards of raw material are stored and labeled for eventual projects” – became a household name with Malta’s vintage crowd, Maria has been inundated by requests from those whose fashion instincts go beyond the fast, high-street chain purchase.
“Babettopolis is all about reducing the amount of new material that is used to create clothes, jewellery and other accessories. I do my best to reduce the eco-footprint that fashion tends to leave behind it,” Maria says.
Why Babettopolis? Maria smiles and recounts how her friends used to tell her that she lived in this imaginary world inside her head, a world inhabited by a Countess called Babette, who wanted everything to be just so and who lived by her own rules. When Maria decided to take her creative sewing abilities a step further by offering her services to a select group of likewise minded customers, it felt like the most natural step to name the enterprise in honour of the whimsical countess.
Babettopolis is not just about recycling, of course. It’s also about developing your own uniquely personal style. A concept that perhaps is not yet widespread on our island but that is fast gaining ground thanks to pioneers like Maria.
“I noticed that there is a huge gap on the style scene, basically there are the finished, high-street products that everyone wears and then there is nothing. Not everyone is happy wearing an item that has hundreds of other replicas on the market, no matter how pretty. I used to think it was just me, but I received so many orders from people who want their own custom-made styles that I now know otherwise.”
Besides being made to fit, all of Maria’s creations boast a very particular identity. Several pieces from her current collection reveal influences from the thirties, the fourties and the fifties. The focus is in the detail, whether with a pretty little ruffle that is added to a hem or maybe a small brooch that is weaved into the netting of a hat. The chosen fabrics are equally alluring and certainly not the kind that you’d commonly find on sale. One dress, with its warm hues and flowery pattern, is extremely eye-catching.
“That dress started life as a living room curtain. You wouldn’t think it, would you? When I finish with the materials there is practically nothing that has been left untouched. I tear apart cushions, I work existing jewellery into new clothes that I design, I turn grey cardis into pretty tops with lace, brooches and interesting buttons. Even ‘80s padded blazers, with their unflattering silhouette can be transformed into something totally beautiful, trust me.”
Over the months, Maria has built a network of trusted people who regularly deliver hand-me-down in need of a good transformation. The network is headed by Maria’s trusty grandmother, who takes particular pride in her grand-daughter’s unusual talent.
“My grandmother isn’t one to pay a lot of compliments, but she does tell me this very often: a young man who is lucky enough to find a woman who can re-use all sorts of old things, is sorted for life. I guess it’s her way of paying me a compliment. It sounds a lot quirkier and touching in Maltese – mara tal-ġabra, which doesn’t necessarily mean religious but includes being domestically frugal and creative!”
And re-use all sorts of things, Maria certainly can. Sometimes, the end result of her ministrations turns out so beautifully that she is loathe to part with it.
“There’s this satin hat, full of embroidery, that I’m desperately trying to keep for myself. When you put so much of yourself into a creation, it feels kind of strange that you have sell it. This hat, for instance, took about six months to finish because there was so much detail. But it does help knowing that a lot of my items end up in a very good home.”
A recurring theme in Maria’s accessories and clothes seems to be religious iconography.
“I find it beautiful and easily accessible. I find a lot of old iconography at flea markets and I love re-working it into a necklace or a headband or maybe a brooch. Some people find this too different for their tastes. I believe that many people are scared to look different, however there is a growing movement for individualistic looks.”
So is being different some kind of fashion statement?
“No, I do not go out intentionally to use unusual items. The idea is not to make a statement but to create aesthetically pleasing pieces. I would never, for example, chuck a CD on a hat just to make it look different. All the elements need to work together to create one beautiful result. Religious iconography, to quote one example, somehow achieves this when worked into a variety of items. I have always been fascinated by the art and the architecture of our churches, there are so many beautiful things to admire.”
Maria’s biggest regret is that she is not yet in a position to take Babettopolis into a full-time venture. The second biggest regret is that since she started making things for other people on a ‘commercial’ basis, she hasn’t had as much time to create items for herself.
“Right now I am working on a wedding dress. It’s not the kind of wedding dress you’d expect, at all. Well, maybe that last statement is superflous. If it’s the style you’d expect, then I wouldn’t be doing it. I’m very excited about the concept, though.”
Besides the wedding dress, there are a number of other items that urgently need Maria’s attention – a hand-made pair of shoes that is set to receive a burst of new colour, a pendant that is just begging for some additions and a hat in need of that little extra magic. The future at Babettopolis looks busy indeed.