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A taste for local style: 5 celebs who donned Maltese designers on the international stage
These fashion choices show off some Maltese style!

Rebecca Anastasi

1. Jessie J in Charles & Ron

Jessie J loves to have a Charles & Ron moment. The British singer and songwriter has been seen in designs by the creative duo more than once. Most notably, she wore a rich pink tulle skirt for the cover of her single Not My Ex and was photographed in a piece from their new Palazzo collection - inspired by the Baroque gilding, colours and opulence of Malta’s palaces, such as Palazzo Parisio – on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam. 

The shoot was photographed by Dalong Yang who has worked on Elle, Marie Claire and Vogue, though this is not the first time the work of the design duo has been featured in international publications, showing they really are on the up and up! 

2. Greg Osby in Sef Farrugia

They wore it: 5 celebs who have donned Maltese designers on the international stage

Sef Farrugia / Facebook

Greg Osby, the American jazz saxophonist, may not be a household name to everyone around the globe, but his music has earned him acclaim and praise from many quarters. He has travelled widely, showcasing his music in front of thousands of people. And, his foray at the Sopot Jazz Festival in Poland a couple of years back featured none other than our own Sef Farrugia: he wore a bespoke silk set from her Poppins collection, making quite an impression. 

3. Destiny’s Child’s Kelly Roland in Charles & Ron

They wore it: 5 celebs who have donned Maltese designers on the international stage

Charles & Ron / Facebook

Independent woman Kelly Roland, of Destiny’s Child fame, has sold over 30 million singles as a solo artist and has worked with Missy Elliott, also touring with Pitbull and Sean Paul. And, she’s one of several artists also spotted in Charles & Ron designs. Once again, the Palazzo collection seems to have caught the eye: Roland’s choice of gold-yellow gown, casually thrown over a Bob Marley T-Shirt nails offbeat, funky cool. And, we wouldn’t have expected anything less! 

4. DJ Duo Nervo in Isle & Aqua

A post shared by ISLE&AQUA (@isleandaqua) on

Miriam and Olivia Nervo, aka Nervo, are continuously shattering the glass ceiling. Not only are they highest paid women DJs in the world, but they can boast having written the Grammy Award winning When Love Takes Over, performed by David Guetta and Kelly Roland (surprise, surprise), and collaborations with Nicole Scherzinger, Britney Spears and Sophie Ellis-Bexter. And, they seem to have favoured swimwear by Maltese designer and fashion curator Giulia Pandolfino – known as Isle and Aqua – whose focus on texture and colour have made the brand one of the must-wears of the season. 

5. Ashanti in Charles & Ron

What does Grammy-award winning artist Ashanti do when she’s in Valletta? Shop at Charles & Ron, it seems! The multi-platinum singer and songwriter was spotted in the designer duo’s corner store and even slipped on a branded T-shirt dress to show her enthusiasm for the brand. In the past, she has collaborated with stars of music and screen such as Jennifer Lopez and Samuel L. Jackson, and has been spotted wearing outfits by the design duo while out and about, so we wonder if she’ll be wearing any Charles & Ron designs as she hits the stage anytime soon!

And Caroline Hili also gave a helping hand to create… 6. Jessica Biel’s wedding dress  

A post shared by @weddinginspirationblogger on

Fashion designer Caroline Hili may have opened her own atelier, but she spent years working away from these shores with couture houses such as Valentino in Italy and Italian designer Giambattista Valli in Paris. She quickly rose to be his right-hand woman and helped in the designing of shoes and choosing of fabrics. This was one of the projects they worked on: Jessica Biel’s pink gown made headlines around the world and was the source of inspiration for many a bride. But, Caroline also helped dress Reese Witherspoon, Emma Hemming Wilson (Bruce Willis’ wife), Emma Stone and Queen Rania of Jordan while working with Valli. Today, her own bespoke threads and bridal gowns have cemented her reputation as one of Malta’s brightest couturiers.


Rebecca Anastasi
Written by
Rebecca Anastasi
Rebecca has dedicated her career to writing and filmmaking, and is committed to telling stories from this little rock in the Mediterranean.

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