Adrian J. Mizzi

July is the month when fashion happens in Malta, and if fashion is happening, then Adrian J. Mizzi must be somewhere around for sure. Perhaps it’s easy to admire a successful person, yet success doesn’t quite show up out of nowhere - it is rather a compounding of experiences and happenings. Enticed by Adrian J Mizzi’s success, Life on Point reached out to learn more about his journey. Being the mind behind Malta Fashion Awards for over twenty-four years and with a twelve-year experience of Malta Fashion Week under his belt, he has a few words of wisdom to share.

Your name has become synonymous with Malta Fashion Week. What pulled you into this industry?

And how did the Malta Fashion Week start? I have loved and dreamt about events since I was a little kid. At the tender age of ten, I wrote a small comic play as part of an events series of the doctrine club M.U.S.E.U.M I used to attend which I still have - my mum had it laminated! My bedroom used to resemble a small club, full of homemade party equipment; broken mirrors glued on carton tubes serving as a mirror ball, neon tube starters connected to the neutral wire of lamps to simulate the effect of blinking lights, and Vangelis music to create light shows.

Later at the age of fourteen, I joined Paola Pageant Group, where we used to organise the biggest Good Friday Pageants in Malta. There I could grow my creative skills. Later, I happened to be in a beauty contest with St John Ambulance, where I was involved heavily and decided to organise one for charity. At that time, it was for the Maria Bugeja Cancer Foundation and that was the starting point for my career in the fashion industry. However, back then I felt that beauty contests weren’t heading anywhere, especially the ones I used to organise, as they did not have any licenses needed to send the winner abroad. That was when I decided to evolve and take things further as well as in a different direction to create a fashion industry in Malta.

Along with that, came the idea of creating The Malta Fashion Awards. I still remember a newspaper reporting that I was “Trying to organise a Fashion Awards in a country where there is no Fashion.” In fact, fashion was almost nonexistent back then. Organising an awards ceremony in our country was too exciting for me! All those who wanted to be nominated had to enhance their skills using courses, refurbishing of salons, creating artistic work, etc. Since then, twenty-four years of Fashion Awards and twelve years of Fashion Week have passed. The style of events I used to organise was totally different from what everyone else was doing. I utilised public spaces instead of halls, and used creativity and imagination in filming and editing. Other companies started reaching out to me to organise their events.

Since then, I have directed more than a one hundred and fifty live shows, some of the biggest ever done in Malta, and more than two hundred TV programs.

Why is Malta Fashion Week important in the industry? What does it mean to you, the major stakeholders, and the general public?

Malta Fashion Week serves as a platform for local designers and assists them in growing their business. It also serves as a promotion for our little island in foreign countries, targeting different, somewhat niche market that has never really been explored before. It also serves as a means local businesses promote their brands professionally, spending less than if they had to do it on their own and targeting a larger audience. For the general public, especially those who love fashion, it’s the most awaited week of the year.

What are the main challenges when planning such a significant event as MFW?

Budgets. We have what it takes to place Malta to an international level, bringing it to par with the big ones. Our weather, scenarios, history and talent offer a totally different backdrop for fashion, and at the same time, foreign guests can combine their holiday with Malta Fashion Week. This is called Fashion Tourism. It has been tried and tested with other countries, and the Economic Impact in the big cities who organise their Fashion Weeks goes up to billions of euros.

Which was the most significant moment in your career so far?

Every successful event is significant for me, whether big or small, but being invited to Buckingham Palace for a fashion reception was one of those moments I will never forget.

Though every trade has its challenges, the fashion industry is on a level of its own, having a highly competitive market; continuous demands for innovation and creativity; pressure to meet the feasibility of the business itself; as well as understanding consumer behaviour and meeting consumer needs. Having years of experience in the fashion industry, what would be your advice to aspiring fashion enthusiasts considering tapping into the industry to make it work and succeed in their endeavors?

Fashion is an Art, and you cannot simply learn how to become an Artist. A true artist is born possessing flair and skill; however all skills can and should be honed. Sewing is one thing and designing is another. Creating a T-shirt is one thing and running a business is another. It takes years of sacrifice, especially if one is creating his business from scratch with no financial backup. Secondly is know-how. If one has a talent in such, they should consider attending professional courses in professional universities, with experienced instructors and a serious curriculum. Online courses and amateur courses will only waste time and money.

In the past two years, we have experienced peculiar times, yet MFW was still there thriving. Having all had our fair share of staying indoors and PJs, perhaps we all crave a little bit of glam this year more than ever! Is there something special prepared for this year’s edition?

Due to the late announcement of the removal of COVID restrictions, we did not have enough time to organise the Full Fashion Week we used to organise pre-COVID. Last year we were forced to change to a new format which was very welcomed with the general public - a more intimate, more private and with the ability to give more individual attention to our guests. This year, we will introduce back the after parties, which always used to be one of the highlights of Fashion Week.

Had it not been for this career, what do you imagine yourself to be?

I had another career in commercial airlines for many years but if I am being honest, although I still gave it my all as I always do, its primary purpose was always to finance my dream job. It took me twenty years of working two jobs. I did not buy a new fancy car as my colleagues did; I bought the least expensive car. I was then given a small garage for free, subject to me taking care of the adjacent house of the owner. This garage was turned into my first humble fashion studio. After years of sacrifices, sleepless nights, and tears, complimented with solid determination, here I am thirty years later.

Whenever I give inspirational talks to students, I always mention these salient points:

1. Nothing is Impossible,

2. Problems exist because there are solutions, and the last,

3. I would rather regret doing things, than regret not doing them.

When it comes to time constraints, I always use Math. A day is made up of twenty-four hours. Eight hours are for your full-time job, seven hours are for sleeping, two hours for traveling time, and a further two hours relaxing time, that leaves you with twenty-five hours during weekdays, eight hours on a Saturday, and seven hours on a Sunday giving you another forty hours a week during which you can pursue your dreams. Nothing comes easy in life.

Adrian J. Mizzi

has extensive experience in the Fashion, TV and Events Industry. Describing himself as an altruist and determined gentleman, he is strong-willed to pursue his endeavors and his leading role in the industry testifies this. Believing that he’d rather regret doing things, than regretting not doing them, he doesn’t miss a beat, yet still manages to strike a balance between life, career and achieving dreams, dedicating time to plants, boating or to enjoy a good read.