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interview with: maduma founder kimberly micallef
Photo: Maduma
MADUMA is the first organic label in Malta which is fully and wholly inspired by the iconic Maltese patterned floor tiles. Intrigued, to say the least, Oh My Malta sits down with the team to get inside their minds
First up, can you tell us a little about MADUMA’s story? What inspired and motivated you?
Kimberly Micallef
Photo: Naomi Gradel
It all started when I was studying media and design at MCAST. For my dissertation, I focused on local artisan trades that were dying out and created a set of framed illustrations based on traditional Maltese tiles. This was the first time I set about designing my own Maltese tile patterns. A couple of years later, in 2017, I felt the urge to start a brand of my own. I also love fashion, so I combined tile patterns with clothing. That’s when MADUMA was born.
What can a Maltese tile loving customer expect to see being sold on your store?
We’re proud to offer a continuously growing range of products for our customers. Especially for the holidays, we added three new products to the store. A 2021 Diary, pocket mirrors and magnets with our different patterns on it. It originally started with the organic cotton t-shirts, expanded into stationary and most recently, masks. We’re especially proud to be the first and only brand to offer Maltese tile-inspired masks.
Photo: Maduma
Photo: Maduma
we understand that you guys specialise in sustainable clothing. can you tell us some more about what that entails and what the process is?
Sustainability is key to us here at MADUMA, as you already mentioned. It starts with the organic cotton, which we source for our t-shirts, ensuring that the material is organic, with the nice side effect that it has a premium feel and lasts much longer than regular cotton. The production of organic cotton takes much less water and produces less CO2 than that of regular cotton. It should really be the obvious choice for companies that care about the environment. Whilst material is a crucial element, we also pride ourselves on the fact that our clothing and stationery is produced in Europe. This reduces our carbon footprint and makes it a high-quality product.Â
We’re huge fans of your masks! Can you tell us about how you made the decision to start creating them?
Always glad to hear that you are fans, and you aren’t the only ones who are going crazy for our masks. We’ve had a ton of demand for our masks and we are introducing even more colours now. It started with the fact that we could not find a comfortable, good-looking mask. So, we knew we had to make them ourselves. Having adjustable ear straps was quite important because it allows for a great fit for different faces sizes. Besides being functional and comfortable, the masks have become a fashion accessory. Matching with the organic cotton t-shirts, they make a great combo set.Â
If you had a fortune teller’s crystal ball, what would you expect to see in MADUMA’s near future? Any special plans?Â
Photo: Maduma
Photo: Maduma
Whilst there aren’t any concrete plans yet, we’d love to see MADUMA products in brick and mortar stores around Malta. What we can say, without needing a crystal ball, is that we’ll be adding even more patterns to our masks, which will be available again in the coming days. We’re also working on a few more accessories that we will be launching in the beginning of the new year.
Check out all of MADUMA’s updates and products here.
