Slayin' it! This young designer duo are making waves with their local fashion labels
There's Dolce & Gabbana, Charles & Ron, and more recently, Malcolm & Dre. Whilst they don't share a fashion label, as they each have their own, this fashionito couple are definitely getting noticed on the local scene for all the right reasons!
André De Battista, 25, and Malcolm Cremona, 29, met back in 2017 after Malcolm had asked his now boyfriend to model his collection at the time for a fashion show held at AXM club in Paceville. Three years later and they're now together and each others' mentors! "We're both different but we have the same interests and support each other immensely. We help each other and guide each other", Malcolm explains. "And we're also each others biggest constructive critics!" he continues.
At the day of our meeting at Giorgio's in Sliema, the boys are dressed very differently but complementing each other. Dre in a skinny rib stripy polo and Malcolm in a Mickey Mouse graphic sweater, but it's not uncommon to see them out together in custom outfits, which complement each other! "I'm a huge, huge Disney fan!" Malcolm tells GuideMeMalta, recounting how he always goes wild when it comes to shopping abroad, especially at Primark's kids section! "Last time I was there I ended up buying four bags!"
In fact, it's Dre who is the bag designer and his latest piece, a houndstooth oversized clutch, features a bee motif. "My brand is not gender specific," he tells me, "I'm inspired by insects and weird stuff, and I launched the Bee Bag in Berlin at Fashion Hall along with the MC Fashion collection."
When asked about their recent trip to Berlin for Fashion Hall, a pre-Fashion Week extravaganza, Malcolm and Dre beam from ear to ear. "It was new and exciting. We've never done anything abroad before when it comes to our labels. We showed our collections together, both the womenswear as well as Dre's bags" Malcolm explains. "There were some incredible looking people there, including an 80-year-old woman with purple hair!", they delight in telling me. Sounds like they had an absolute blast!
When it comes to muses, their main inspiration is Karly Naudi, who has already been spotted in MC Fashion numerous times, both on the catwalk and on the red carpet at last year's edition of the LMAs. "Karly is a very close friend, and she knows how to handle a dress! She's a diva but she's also very humble and keeps her feet on the ground."
The Clintess is also a huge muse to the young designers. "She doesn't stick to one designer, which we like. She's a great promoter and supporter of local fashion", they both agree.
More recently, celeb stylist Robert Agius has just picked out some pieces for an upcoming Ira Losco music video - what a great oppurtunity!
When it comes to dressing their dream local celeb, both designers are quick to exclaim "Carina!", and knowing their fresh and funky style, we can totally see that working! "I can imagine I'd do something crazy for her - she's out there!" Malcolm tells GuideMeMalta. "At Malta Fashion Week, we were both wearing turbans, and Carina was all like "let's bump heads! - she's fabulous", they agree.
As for upcoming projects, the power couple are looking forward to some super opportunities. Apart from working on their new collections and featuring pieces in Ira's music video, they're also getting on board with designing a float for this year's Pride celebrations. We couldn't think of a more dynamic duo to do so and wish them both all the best of luck with their future ventures!