Malta's fashion calendar welcomed a special guest this month, when Fern Mallis - the fashion director known as the "Godmother of American Fashion" and credited as the creator of New York Fashion Week - visited the island.
Mallis' visit was organised by the US Embassy in Malta in partnership with The Phoenicia Malta and with the support of Malta Fashion Week, a Freedom 250 event in celebration of America's 250th anniversary.
The Phoenicia Malta, Malta's first five-star hotel at the gates of Valletta, greeted Mallis for a stay that mixed diplomacy with Mediterranean hospitality. General manager Robyn Pratt hosted a dinner in her honour at Contessa, the hotel's flagship restaurant, while the Malta Tourism Authority arranged a day's tour of the island.
The Phoenicia Malta also welcomed members of the press, figures from Malta's fashion industry and other esteemed guests - among them British High Commissioner Victoria Busby, Indian High Commissioner Rachita Bhandari, US Ambassador Somers Farkas and Malta Fashion Week founder Adrian J. Mizzi - to a breakfast event to laud American fashion excellence, with Mallis as guest of honour.
Maltese broadcaster Stephanie Spiteri led the conversation with Mallis, moving from her early career, through her decade at the helm of the Council of Fashion Designers of America that gave rise to New York Fashion Week, to her interview series, Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis. Mallis also shared what she views as real potential for Malta's fashion industry to grow, including through design and distribution partnerships with the US. Asked what advice she gives designers on how to succeed in the industry, she answered: "Be nice. There are many talented designers, but it's much easier to work with someone who is nice - especially when you're working alongside them for long hours." It is, she explained, the advice she has repeated so often over the years that it has become something of a signature line.
As a proud sponsor of Malta Fashion Week, The Phoenicia Malta is also home to the Malta Fashion Week 2026 International Fashion Photography exhibition in the hotel's Palm Court Lounge. Curated by Mizzi, the exhibition brings together editorial, runway and conceptual photography from acclaimed Maltese and international photographers to capture the artistry behind the world of fashion. Mannequins from designers' collections also remained on display throughout Malta Fashion Week.
"To welcome the woman who shaped modern fashion, alongside such distinguished company, was a privilege for this hotel and for Malta," says Pratt. "Ms Mallis' visit reflects exactly the kind of partnership between culture, diplomacy and hospitality that this island does best, and we thank the US Embassy for this opportunity."
Mallis joined the opening night of Malta Fashion Week, held just outside the hotel's gates, and met exhibiting student designers who had the rare opportunity to share their designs with the "Godmother of American Fashion" in person.
For more information about The Phoenicia Malta visit www.phoeniciamalta.com
