The Fabled Bird is soon to launch a range of ethically produced rugs at Birgu Blue Rendez-Vous, an independent artisanal boutique in Birgu.
The launch is the result of a new collaboration between the founders of The Fabled Bird and Birgu Blue, Luisa Alden and Claude Zammit Trevisan respectively. Both highly experienced and with full-time jobs in the tourism and luxury travel industries, their individual passion projects mutually showcase carefully sourced and handmade products.
“I met Claude at a pre-pandemic event, where we quickly realised that we share many of the same core values of artisanal excellence at the heart of both our projects,” explains The Fabled Bird founder and curator, Luisa Alden. “I am hugely excited to launch this unique collaboration with Birgu Blue. This will be another opportunity for people in Malta to experience the craft and quality of these exceptional textiles, alongside other hand-crafted and ethically sourced items.”
Luisa’s fascination with oriental rugs was honed throughout her childhood by her grandfather, one of Malta’s first rug tradesman Victor Mangion. Her passion for art and design later inspired her to combine these interests, founding The Fabled Bird in 2021 following a trip to Turkey to personally select each of the textiles that would become the company’s initial collection.
This collection includes unique Turkish kilims that have been hand-woven using fine sheep’s wool in an ancient technique passed from mother to daughter, with each displaying a story through colours and symbols. Like the hand-stitched leather products created on-site at Birgu Blue, all kilim rugs sourced by The Fabled Bird are not chemically dyed, are one-of-a-kind and represent the finest in artisanal excellence.
Set to coincide with the reopening of Birgu Blue following its closure due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Fabled Bird collection of Turkish kilims and recycled vintage kilim cushions will be officially launched on Monday 26 April.
“The theatrical setting of the space at Birgu Blue lends itself well to displaying the many different uses of the rugs by The Fabled Bird, from floor rugs and hangable works of art to throws and blankets, as per the intentions of the weaver,” explains Mr Zammit Trevisan. “We’re delighted to celebrate re-opening our doors on Monday with the launch of The Fabled Bird collection, which complements perfectly our bespoke service of hand-stitched vegetable-tanned leather garments, as well as our eclectic selection of eco-conscious accessories, fine Ceylon teas, organic jams and chutneys and premium Maltese wines.”
Planned to be available at Birgu Blue for two weeks until 9 May, The Fabled Bird collection will be launched on Monday where both Mrs Alden and Mr Zammit Trevisan will be on-hand to meet their esteemed clients and share their knowledge and passion about their curated collections.
In keeping with current COVID-19 restrictions, clients are encouraged to book an appointment in advance so that they can access the store and view the collection while staying within the maximum number of people allowed inside.
Individual appointments to view The Fabled Bird collection at Birgu Blue should be booked in advance via a private message sent to either The Fabled Bird or Birgu Blue Facebook or Instagram accounts, or with an email sent to birgublue@gmail.com or you@thefabledbird.com. Normal opening hours at Birgu Blue are 10am-2pm and 3pm-7pm from Wednesday to Sunday. For the duration of this initiative, it will also open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 5pm-7pm for pre-booked appointments
