This week • 10 November 2002

What a week!

Ramona Depares catches up with fashion designer Charles Borg some days prior to his fashion show

Monday: Still in London for a short holiday-cum-research stint. Went to see the Versace exhibition at the Victoria museum today. Rather exciting seeing costumes from the sixteenth century and even earlier. There were some lovely recent models too, especially the ones by Catherine Walker circa 1999. Got caught in the rain afterwards, as is the wont in London. Managed to take in a couple of fabric shops but did not actually buy any. Window shopping can be a good source of inspiration, especially in London.

Met some friends for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. A great night, lovely food and some even lovelier wine.

Tuesday: My last day in London, so I really wanted to make the most of it. A crazy morning, dividing my time between Bond Street and Oxford Street to see what the designers are up to this season. Quite exhausting.

A light lunch and then off to the airport, for the usual boring two hour wait prior to the flight. Read some fashion magazines, had a couple of capuccinos and soon I was on my way back to Malta. Very uneventful flight, thank goodness. A bit sorry that my short holiday is over – I always enjoy London so much – but at the time rearing to get going on my upcoming fashion show.

Wednesday: Up early, all excited and eager to start. Off to my studio in B’Kara, where I started working immediately. The whole morning devoted to turning the fabrics onto mannequins, getting the basic designs and improving on them. I enjoy this stage when I’m creating something completely new out of absolutely nothing!

Late morning met a couple of clients who had to pick up some dresses. Back to working on the show immediately after lunch. Avery long day, worked until long after seven. The pressure has definitely started.

Thursday: Have decided on a definite theme for my show. The look is sexy: low cut dresses, tailored jackets in tweed (which happens to be really in), real fur trimmings for that extra touch of class. Very tight trousers in lace with a teeny-weeny miniskirt on top. That’s the kind of look I’m after – sexy but very elegant and sophisticated at the same time. Nothing thrashy. Blouses will also feature heavily, with lots of cuts and different styles of sleeves, also a lot of pleats and big puffs.

Today concentrated on the evening gowns: this is the most glamorous part of the collection and takes a lot of time to perfect.

Friday: Morning I cut a dress and a skirt. The skirt took very long due to the amount of detail. Spent a lot of time with clients today: had a massive headache but I couldn’t very much let them down. Once I promise a delivery date to my clients I always make sure that I keep it.

Afternoon didn’t do much. My headache was too blinding. Still, too excited to rest for long. Late evening started working on a silver, shiny piece of fabric. I’m planning something completely different for it: a very modern design, with velvet braiding and gatherings. I’m not cutting it at all, will keep it in one whole piece. It’s more difficult to design but the end result looks so much better I always believe.

Saturday: Extremely exhausted. Didn’t do much in fact. Had two clients. A lot of weddings are coming up now – the weddings season has started again – and of course I have to fit in all my clients around the show. I don’t like refusing clients, especially if they’re regulars.

Invited to a do tonight, but too tired to attend. I’m not fit for company, I’m afraid. I keep thinking of the fashion show every single minute wherever I am and this doesn’t make for great conversation.

Saturday: Working today, although I don’t always on a Saturday. But with the show so close I can hardly do otherwise. Twenty outfits are already ready, but I’m aiming to include thirty in the show.

Had the models over for a fitting session today. When I’m creating a design I will already have in mind who’s wearing what, so I do work with my regular models in mind. Not that it always works out perfectly: sometimes an outfit is slightly too small or too large and then I have to make quick alterations. But most of the time it all works out well. This part is one of the most exciting stages of the show, together with shopping for the fabrics and seeing the guests applauding and admiring my work on the day.

I know that many people look forward to my shows: they are on twice a year and attendance is by invitation, which means that things are very tough financially. Thank goodness for the sponsors! But I must say that it’s such a satisfaction seeing the big turnout of people, I forget all the anxiety and hassles immediately as soon as I see all those people on the night.

Sunday: You guessed it: I’m working today as well. Went to the Catholic Institute in the morning, which is where the show is being held, as I wanted to check up on something. Perfected a couple of the designs later on in the morning, working directly on the model herself. I get very inspired from my models: I always choose girls whom I know personally. That way I know exactly what they can deliver and what they can’t, and no-one is disappointed. Today week it will all be over – to think, after all this work…