I just parked my car opposite Costa Coffee in Balzan feeling nervous and excited all at the same time. Why all the fuss you ask? Well, in a few minutes I am to interview Claudia Faniello, a very well established name in the local music scene. One last look in my car's mirror and I'm out, walking towards the coffee shop. This was me last Wednesday afternoon.
I first met Gaetano, the designer in charge of Claudia's look for this year's Malta Eurovision Song Contest final which will be held on the 18th of February to choose the winner to represent Malta in the 62nd edition of the Eurovision Song Contest which will take place in Ukraine.
Gaetano is fast establishing himself as a household name when it comes to elegant dresses for women thanks to the 2015 edition of the Mercedes-Benz Malta Fashion Week and Awards which served as a springboard for him to launch his collections publicly. It was quite a chilly day so we ordered a cappuccino straight away to warm us up and for me to relax before Claudia shows up.
A few minutes later, the singer waves at us from across the road and I immediately feel much more at ease once she greets us with her contagious smile. Turns out she is very down-to-earth, jolly individual and a pleasure to talk to! In fact, our interview quickly took the form of a chat between friends rather than an interview. We basically talked fashion and music of course as well as other random subjects as you do when you get to interview a very famous face in the local scene.
To start off with, I asked Claudia about her experience in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest and while she says it is time consuming, it gives her great pleasure in participating in such an event and this is her 9th year with the 10th song. This year, she is presenting a ballad entitled Breathlessly and she says ballads are her favourites when it comes to competitions as her singing abilities can really shine through - and I couldn't agree more!
Moving on to fashion, I was surprised to learn that shopping is not something Claudia enjoys doing yet she knows what she's comfortable in and her style changes from day to day depending on her mood. Skirts are her favourites as opposed to trousers for example. Claudia admits she is open to new ideas in terms of fashion and even though sometimes it may take quite a few tries for her to accept a new proposal, she usually complies. She immediately mentions fish-tail dresses as a case in point and Gaetano chimes in saying how much he likes such dresses and how it took him a little bit more effort to convince Claudia to wear one. Well, she succumbed to the charm of fish-tails and this is the result...
Gaetano is fast establishing himself as a household name when it comes to elegant dresses for women thanks to the 2015 edition of the Mercedes-Benz Malta Fashion Week and Awards which served as a springboard for him to launch his collections publicly. It was quite a chilly day so we ordered a cappuccino straight away to warm us up and for me to relax before Claudia shows up.
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| Designer Gaetano Busuttil and Claudia Faniello |
A few minutes later, the singer waves at us from across the road and I immediately feel much more at ease once she greets us with her contagious smile. Turns out she is very down-to-earth, jolly individual and a pleasure to talk to! In fact, our interview quickly took the form of a chat between friends rather than an interview. We basically talked fashion and music of course as well as other random subjects as you do when you get to interview a very famous face in the local scene.
To start off with, I asked Claudia about her experience in the Malta Eurovision Song Contest and while she says it is time consuming, it gives her great pleasure in participating in such an event and this is her 9th year with the 10th song. This year, she is presenting a ballad entitled Breathlessly and she says ballads are her favourites when it comes to competitions as her singing abilities can really shine through - and I couldn't agree more!
Moving on to fashion, I was surprised to learn that shopping is not something Claudia enjoys doing yet she knows what she's comfortable in and her style changes from day to day depending on her mood. Skirts are her favourites as opposed to trousers for example. Claudia admits she is open to new ideas in terms of fashion and even though sometimes it may take quite a few tries for her to accept a new proposal, she usually complies. She immediately mentions fish-tail dresses as a case in point and Gaetano chimes in saying how much he likes such dresses and how it took him a little bit more effort to convince Claudia to wear one. Well, she succumbed to the charm of fish-tails and this is the result...
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| Claudia wearing one of Geatano's creations |
...doesn't she look ravishing!
When it comes to trends, Claudia isn't one to 'fall into the trap' as she prefers to sticking to what she knows will suit her physique and style and she doesn't really commit to one trend or another. Turning back to music, however, her idol is Madonna but not necessarily in a musical way - more in an artistic way.
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| Wearing more of Gaetano's creations on various occasions. The last one has to be my absolute favourite! |
I wish Claudia the best of luck with her MESC entry and I am sure Gaetano will have her dressed to the nines in one of his exclusive, fabulous creations. Speaking of which, you can participate in a competition on Gaetano's Facebook page by guessing the colour of the dress Claudia is to wear on the finals' night!
Follow Claudia's journey on her Facebook page and be sure to vote for her entry on the 18th of February!
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