In 2014, a young, fashionable man from Birgu wanted to impart his larger-than-life personality onto Malta’s fashion scene.

Now, half a decade later, Marco Parascandalo has set his eyes on the future, with a bright new 2019 line of clothes launching alongside a nostalgic video look-back at five years of Parascandalo.

“It has been five years since my first debut at Malta Fashion week, and since then I feel like the fashion scene in Malta has grown and has become more visible,” Marco told Lovin Malta.

“People are appreciating our art and buying into our fashion,” he continued. “I believe we still have a lot to achieve in the coming years to compete with the big fashion capitals, though.”

When it comes to his own brand, Marco’s able to pinpoint the biggest change that’s occurred

“I think the biggest change is within the brand itself; Parascandalo has grown from what some had called us, a t-shirt brand, to a lifestyle brand the offers a variety of products,” he said.

Indeed, from 2018 onwards, it was the newer items that really took off from his collections.

“We are still strong with our Maltese slogan tees, but in our last collection we launched a bags and accessories range that everybody loved,” he said. “We also have to mention our three colour hoodies which were a big hit this winter.”

“I always get inspired from pop culture, music and people. I like to dive in these three elements and create an interesting collection”

A contemporary man, Marco finds inspiration in some of our modern world’s technological trappings.

“In 2017 I came up with the Vanity Rebels collection, which was inspired by the social media craze with Instagram, Snapchat and Facebook; it portrayed a vain flamboyant aesthetic, where as in 2018 I launched the S.T.A.R. collection. This was a step forward from being in the vanity zone and S.T.A.R stood for Start To Acknowledge Reality,” he said.

While he’s currently in the middle of getting ready for his next collection for Malta Fashion Week May 2019, Marco’s already got big plans for the next few years

“I am launching the five year anniversary tees featuring three slogans per t-shirt from past collections – but I want the brand to continue growing, and to become not just a local, well-established brand, but to achieve the same overseas,” he said.

Video credits:

Videographer: Neo Borg Bonaci Red Pill Blue Pill Productions

Models: Luke Azzopardi and Isabel Plata

Stylist: Marco Parascandalo assisted by Jayden Curmi

What’s your favourite Parascandalo outfit? Tell us in the comments and tag a fashion fan!

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Johnathan Cilia

Johnathan is an award-winning Maltese journalist interested in social justice, politics, minority issues, music and food. Follow him at @supreofficialmt on Instagram, and send him news, food and music stories at [email protected]