Għonnella: Deconstructing the Garment is an art book concerned with the historical and socio-political importance of Malta's national costume, the Għonnella. It discusses the value of the garment, as well as its development and transformation throughout the centuries, through an innovative and creative approach. The publication is penned by couturier and costume historian Luke Azzopardi, and opens with an in-depth foreword note by Maria Theuma. The photographic contents of the book were captured on film by Marija Grech.

“Where does the Għonnella come from? It is a question that insipidly hangs over the landscapes of our local histories, triggering research, citation and speculation. It has been asked more than answered: scholars from anatomised corners of the fields of history, sociology, visual cultures and postcolonial studies, to name a few, have been at it for decades, trying to uncover all possible sources, their focus flitting between the particularities of the formalised outlines of the garment and an implicated sentiment of what it means to wear it and be Maltese.”

Limited edition of 200; signed and numbered
Hardbound in fabric
100 matte-coated satin pages

Garments and Text by Luke Azzopardi
Photography by Marija Grech
Foreword note by Maria Theuma
Text Edited by Michele Tufigno
Copy-editing by Martin Bugelli
Set Design by Andrew Borg Wirth

Copyright Literary & Visual © LA Studio Ltd, 2022
Copyright Editorial © Midsea Books Ltd, 2022

Printed at Gutenberg Press, Malta