Our Story
The VF Group story spans more than four decades, and is one which is built on passion, innovation and unwavering determination. Starting off as a modest tailoring business on the island of Malta, the vision was clear, even in those early days: to deliver fine quality products and experiences through a steadfast commitment to quality, design and good taste.
These founding values of our Chairman, Vincent Farrugia, have proved vital to our destiny as pioneers in the retail, manufacturing, and media sectors in Malta. As curious innovators, we challenge the status quo, deliver bespoke solutions, and have built a world-class organization on a series of illustrious achievements.
Today, the Farrugia Textiles manufacturing arm trades as BTI and Eagle Knitwear, offering made-to-measure apparel, uniforms, schoolwear, and workwear for all sectors and industries through distribution arrangements across Malta and Gozo. It caters to specialized areas and offers value-added services such as embroidery and direct-to-garment printing.
Our first foray into retail came in 1978 through Malta’s first multi-brand fashion concept, Swinger. The store offered a mix of locally manufactured garments and imported ready-to-wear brands. Such was its popularity that by 1997, Swinger operated a total of thirteen stores, and by 2000, it had launched Malta’s first franchising model.
In 1998, VF Group introduced Malta’s first internationally franchised fashion brand, Mexx, which developed into four stand-alone, strategically located mono-brand retail units.
The definitive shift to premium and luxury retail came in 2011 with the opening of Malta’s first franchise store for Hugo Boss.
Our vast experience in tailoring, large-scale manufacturing, and retail operations, combined with an innate appreciation for quality, attention to detail, and customer-focused services, best represents the group.
This expertise enabled us to secure representation for the world’s top fashion maisons, leading to the opening of SARTO in 2012, a luxury multi-brand boutique located in the high-end fashionable district of St. Julian’s, Portomaso.
Our retail arm also manages the exclusive representation for Samsonite and American Tourister, with collections available at Malta International Airport.
In 2023, the distribution of our group increased to three new stores: BOSS and Twinset, located in Mercury shopping district, and HUGO in Valletta.
2024 will keep on kicking off many new exciting projects, the year started with the opening of 2 pop-up stores: Fraction in Ross Street and American Tourister at Mercury mall.
The group’s retail division keeps evolving and developing its exceptional representation of fashion and lifestyle brands within the island.
A bold diversification venture came in the mid-2000s with the establishment of Faces, an outdoor media and large format printing company. Faces introduced the first national branded bus shelter concept and today owns and operates over 700 advertising displays, making it the largest outdoor media setup in Malta.
While VF Group has grown exponentially it remains true to its roots as a family business with Chairman Vincent Farrugia at the helm, and Michelle Farrugia and Matthew Farrugia assuming its day-to-day leadership as Executive Directors. Today, the company employs a workforce of over 150 across its three key divisions: Fashion & Retail, Manufacturing & Uniformity and Media & Design, all of which are supported by a skilled workforce and management team in the functional areas of marketing, logistics, operations, human resources, sales, finance and business development.
