Meet Martina Mifsud | Artist/painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Martina Mifsud and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Martina, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Fold came to life from a shared desire to creatively explore new and unknown territory – a recognition of the playful craft of seizing an idea and transforming it from abstraction to reality by Tina and Suzi.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In a city whose history, art and architecture have been shaped by the flair and impulse of artists and freethinkers, it’s easy to get swept away in Barcelona. It’s approach to fashion is cutting edge yet carefree, and embraces each person’s individuality. In 2018, we were both living in the city as students. As young women moving there from a small Mediterranean island, we found our new urban surroundings both challenging and stimulating. Like most twenty-something creatives we loved to employ a bit of artistic license when getting dressed in the morning. However, Barcelona life also taught us the importance of comfort and practicality; keeping our belongings safe as we roamed crowded streets and squeezed into busy metro carriages.

Sports pouches and fanny packs were almost a staple in Barcelona. They’re an easy way for locals to carry their phone, keys and wallet safely and conveniently. With our backgrounds in fine art, architecture and design neither of us had trained specifically in fashion, but a small idea gradually assumed an interesting shape. We knew this had to be beyond utility. It needed to be all about the individual.

And this is how we came up with fold – our own take on the fanny pack. A more fun, flattering and versatile alternative to standard pouches.
Our first simple pouch design and the basis of our current collection was essentially a DIY project. First, we sourced all the materials in Barcelona. Then we handmade the pouches and belts ourselves. Ultimately, this is how in 2019, we launched our first fold belt pouches in black, tan and cream. It involved some trial and error, an important part of the learning process as we became familiar with our tools and materials.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My business partner in Fold Suzi Mifsud. I would like this to be about the both of us not just Tina Mifsud

Website: Itsfold.com

Instagram: Fold_thebeltpouch

Facebook: Fold- the belt pouch