AX Hotels and The Saint John – AX Holdings’ first boutique hotel in Valletta – will be launching Cessani’s bow ties together with the brand’s new winter collection. The fashion show, called The Saint John Walk, will take place on Friday in Merchants Street.
AX Group’s hospitality director Claire Zammit Xuereb said the idea behind the bow tie indicated class and this is precisely what she wanted to achieve.
“The fact that the saint is usually expected to be wearing a halo and ours has a bow tie is intriguing and raises the brow.
“It was an amazing experience for The Saint John and Cessani to work together to create this unique range of bow ties, exclusively found at the boutique hotel in Valletta.”
Mary Grace Pisani, fashion designer for The Saint John bow ties, said that since behind this concept of merging fashion with travel there was a strong businesswoman, referring to Ms Zammit Xuereb, she knew the venture would turn out to be a successful one.
“Cessani bow ties reflect different characters and different professions and this is why the entire concept embarked on was positive – because Claire is a very psychological person who can indulge herself in every subject wholeheartedly and emotionally. This is what people expect from bow ties,” Ms Pisani said.
The bow tie symbolises a smart space for smart people. It also indicates class
Ms Zammit Xuereb said she loved working with Mary Grace, saying she is full of energy and open to new ideas. “It all happened by chance when I went to her for a dress and told her about my idea of introducing fashionable bow ties for women and selling them. She enthusiastically wanted to help me. From that moment, we developed this great concept which combines the hotel’s industrial style with the gracefulness of Cessani’s bow ties.”
Both women aim to take the fashion industry to another dimension. Ms Zammit Xuereb sees a lot of potential and synergy between fashion and travel and this pushes her even more.
“It all started with The Palace in Sliema, when I launched the Designer Suite collection and the great deal of detail we went into when creating the whole concept.
“So, in doing up this new boutique hotel, I could not help myself introducing something original and fashionable. Each of our hotels has its own distinctive style and appeal.”
Talking about The Saint John boutique hotel in Valletta, Ms Zammit Xuereb said she wanted to create something masculine but feminine at the same time, in terms of style.
“Something bold but delicate too. A brand that appeals to the traveller looking for luxury in a stylish ambience and yet being fully functional in all practical ways. The bow tie is a symbol of a smart space for smart people – smart in all ways, including its technical meaning,” she said.
A woman fascinated by contrasts, Ms Zammit Xuereb said: “The brand is elegant and exclusive because the idea was to create a contrast in styles and this could be achieved by the building itself, in its similarity to the other buildings in Valletta.
“Contrasts always make a project that extra special. We did not apply the style everywhere. It is felt intensely in the guest rooms. A feminine touch is then achieved through the presence of the bow tie.”