The Maltese Gift-Guide – Saz Mifsud
Mesmerising & Conceptual: Saz Mifsud takes the art of printing on fabric to the next level.
Scarves are one of the most underrated accessories. They give life to outfits, add colour and show off our personality and how we feel. Considering they are normally square-shaped, they are also surprisingly versatile, and this is due to their design, which is where Saz’s talent comes in.
What Saz does is simple: she takes something completely ordinary and turns it into something extraordinary and beautiful. It really does not take a trained eye to see that a lot of work goes into her silk creations, and they can really make an outfit!
We caught up with Saz just before her new collection is launched tomorrow at the Wignacourt Museum’s Christmas market to talk about how she manages to turn simple pieces of fabric into wearable works of art.
“In a nutshell, my work stems from a combination of hand- and digital- painting which comes to life when the pattern is digitally printed onto silk,” says Fashion Print Designer, Saz Mifsud. “Each collection consists of a selection of limited edition pieces, which are sparked off by a series of drawings, paintings and collages. I am constantly experimenting with new media, and these experiments are then transferred to a computer where further experimentation and manipulation takes place in digital form.
“I have always been rather inspired by the way different silks absorb colour, and my range includes chiffon, habotai, satin, georgette, crepe and cotton silk. This has spawned in me a passion for colour and natural fibres, and it is what drives my approach to scarf-making.
“When I am creating a scarf, I usually have the modern woman in mind: she works hard and leads a fast-paced life, so she’ll throw on a scarf and rush off. Some other times, however, I feel a bit nostalgic and create designs as a response to a classical painting or a vintage piece of fabric. Because of this, some of my designs are rather bold and eccentric with bursts of colour, whilst others are subtle and intricate, with subdued tones.
“Nevertheless, I do not design with one particular woman in mind. Instead, I aim to create something that may suit any woman’s personality. The scarf should say certain things that would otherwise be left unspoken, and I want each and every scarf I create to be a timeless piece – something that can be passed on from one generation to the next.”
Saz Mifsud’s autumn/winter 2014 collection, Infinitesimal, launches tomorrow at the Wignacourt Museum & Café’s Christmas Market taking place in Rabat between 10am and 3pm. Her scarves can also be bought online through her own website or from CamilleriParisMode. Saz can also be followed on Facebook. Photos by Sean Mallia.