Budding fashionista Ritienne Zammit will be launching her fourth collection this month during Malta Fashion Week. The young and ambitious designer tells Simonne Pace each and every collection is the result of profound research and adventurous experimentation.
Art and creativity are zones fashion designer Ritienne Zammit was always eager to discover and experiment with at a very young age. A rich source of motivation and excitement, the young artist admits some of her childhood toys were blank papers and markers.
“I was fascinated trying to create something different from the norm. Inventing clothes from all sorts of paper and recycled fabric was part of my play life as a child,” says Zammit, who will be launching her fourth collection, themed L-Omm li Tatna Isimha, during Malta Fashion Week this month.
The upcoming designer considers design not only as a profession but also as a way of life. “I cannot live without creating,” she says.
However, the fact that designing sometimes involves quite a bit of stress, having to tackle the lateral side of it, “this is what makes it fun and exciting for me, because I’m always looking for contradictions, contrast, emotions and expression”.
I’m always looking for contradictions, contrast, emotions and expression
Zammit loves to experiment with her initial concept prior to creating a collection and creates contradiction within the same idea.
“Materials sometimes also spur me on to experiment with an entirely new and different composition to create the outfit. The thinking process really comes from within, so it is a concentrated exercise.”
The designer, who presented her last collection, Amen, during Serbia Fashion Week last October, doesn’t really select her fabrics to work with. Her last two collections focused on a huge source of experimentation with PVC plastic and fabrics, including curtain materials.
“Textures and colours of fabrics can create a totally new perspective. So I’m always open to testing fabric characteristics and properties,” she says.
Participating in Malta Fashion Week for the third time this year, the young woman first took part in the annual event’s new designers’ show, placing first in the Malta Fashion Awards.
Zammit says her new collection is totally different to her previous range. “This year involves fun colours together with a few monochrome ones.” She also hopes to leave an impression through a series of studies into the psychological and lateral parts of the concept.
“The aim of the new collection is to arouse gratitude to our Maltese identity,” says Zammit, who likes to wear both dresses and trousers, depending on her mood. Black being her personal favourite colour, the designer admits that when creating her mind enters an entirely different colour scheme.
“Contrast between colours is also part of the design process,” says Zammit, whose personal favourites are pencil skirts, wide-leg trousers, long skirts and leather jackets.
Since her collections are a reflection of her personality, Zammit says she loves to wear her creations because they express her rebellious energy in a positive way.
Originally a graduate in three-dimensional design and interiors, Zammit, who is specialised in the fashion sector, is also involved in accessory design, for which, again, she doesn’t make use of the usual materials and techniques.
“I try to create innovative forms and turn something that is not wearable into a wearable item. I love to create art that expresses street style, collages, mixed media and also nudes.”
In her spare time, Zammit loves to go around the streets of Valletta, observing architecture, traditions and characters. “Valletta offers me relaxation and rest of mind but also hugely inspires my work. That’s why I live in Valletta. Because it’s like a space that was designed for me.”
How does the artist create her designs? Zammit starts off with her inspirations. Then it’s about material selection and colour schemes. The design process is the next step, followed by manufacturing, finishing touches and presentation.
• Ritienne Zammit’s new L-Omm li Tatna Isimha collection – part of Malta Fashion Week – will be presented on May 14 at the Palace, Valletta.