On 27th June, local fashion and textile designer Sef farrugia celebrated two years since the opening of her boutique store in Rabat under the well-cultivated brand: Seffarrugia
Focussing her efforts on clothing, accessories and soft furnishings, Seffarrugia celebrates the local aesthetic through unique prints with all products made in Malta.
Sef’s love for textiles, fashion and the arts led her to begin the Seffarrugia journey in 2012, and, to mark her shop’s two year anniversary, she speaks with WhosWho.mt about the journey so far, and the road ahead – despite the uncertainty of COVID.
Who is the person behind Seffarrugia?
A 31-year-old from Haz-Zebbug with an immense love for making and all that is intricate and perhaps a bit of an obsession with Textiles, Design, Arts and everything in between. I am the kind of person that is interested in everything.
Can you give us a little background about yourself?
My background is in Fashion / Textiles and this has always been the path that I have followed. I have worked in various fields from a timber factory to a call centre to retail, but ‘Fashion and Textiles’ have always been the disciplines that attracted me most. My education in fact reflects just that as it has always been in the arts.
How did the idea for the shop come about, and how did it all start?
There was never a plan, as such. It was a distant idea but I would have never thought it would materialise so quickly, and, so, it was purely by chance. My family used to have shops in the same building and their retirement was long overdue, so they proposed the idea of me having a go and setting up shop – and I went for it. That is pretty much how it happened! The rest followed.
Can you tell me a little bit about the shop’s development since you opened?
It has now been two years since the opening and ever since I started the brand in 2012, I always wanted to try and keep everything made in Malta as much as I could and so far, I have managed to keep to it.
The shop really has been an extension to what I have been doing the previous years since I launched the brand. It has taught me a lot about the business side of things and mostly how important timing is amongst many other things. I am very loyal to the idea that I have in my head of creating limited edition quality accessories and keep expanding the range bit by bit. The pace is slow, and I like it that way.
You recently celebrated two years since opening – how has the business developed?
Having a physical shop gives one the opportunity to be present even when the person running it isn’t and so it has for sure brought more interest to the brand and the business itself.
The shop is a little window to the world I would like to create via my brand. Although I have pretty much been working on similar things even prior to opening, the shop has aided me in reaching many more possible clients. We have worked on wedding attire, corporate projects, uniforms, theatre productions, performing arts and many other fields.
Can you tell me a little about the process of creating Seffarrugia products?
Every accessory forms part of a collection which is thoroughly researched first, sketched, tested, designed, developed, sometimes reworked and then manufactured. Presently the brand focuses on printed items mostly on various silks and cottons, although we intend to expand in that sense also by introducing other fabrics.
There are countless subjects which I am interested in and so running out of ideas is never the case. The problem is knowing when to stop at one stage to go onto the next as you can never know enough and the research part is always so interesting. The product itself doesn’t only start and finish with the object, but also with the packaging which is still made in the studio. The brand’s products are limited edition and are all handcrafted in our studio in Rabat (Malta).
What are some of the most exciting/interesting things you’ve worked on so far?
There have been quite a few, from designing for ‘The Crucible’ at the Manoel Theatre to launching the studio / shop space however, I still long to create yet another collection which is very much long overdue, were it will mainly be based on clothing which are hand crafted and showcase the love I have of textiles and hand embellishment.
Has the shop been impacted by COVID-19?
We strictly followed the official regulations and so the shop had to be fully closed down. The present and future situation wasn’t looking great at all.
What are your future plans for the shop?
It has been difficult as unlike the shop whilst it being closed, rent and other bills kept coming. The situation has of course highlighted the importance of having an alternative and an online shop would be just that. It has been in the works for a long while, but never got to emerge.
We will hopefully be launching an e-commerce website in the coming months as well as keeping expanding the brands range into ready to wear. In the meantime, seeming that the situation in Malta has improved, we will also be reopening our little shop in Rabat (Malta).
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