Caroline Tonna is a dress historian and a multidisciplinary artist with a lifelong engagement in scholarship and creative practice. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and a Master’s degree in History of Art.
Editor / Author
In her early career, Caroline founded Elegance magazine, a popular Maltese quarterly publication dedicated to local fashion and lifestyle for over twelve years. She also held the position of fashion editor for I DO weddings magazine and Phase magazine.
She is the author of Society Fashion in Malta: The Portrait Photography of Leandro Preziosi 1830–1869, published by Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti. She was awarded the National Book Council Prize 2023 for Best Publication Production and honoured with the Icon Award for Fashion Journalism by the Malta Fashion Week.
Broadcaster
Across an extensive career in radio and television media production, Caroline played a significant role in Maltese cultural media. She hosted Kun Af Pajjizek on RTK Radio, engaging with museum curators and heritage professionals, and produced MALTARTI, a flagship cultural television programme. Drawing on her expertise in dress history and visual culture, she created Moda l-Istorja, a thirteen-part documentary series intertwining art, photography, archival research, and historic costume.
Curator / Artistic Director
Caroline served as curator at Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum in Mdina, and her curatorial profile includes diverse art, photography and historic dress exhibitions. She is also a volunteer dress curator of the lace and costume collection at Casa Rocca Piccola. Together with Francesca Balzan, she conceptualised and co-directed Curious Beauty: An Alternative Costume Exhibition for Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti.
International Engagement
Caroline has broadened her professional practice through advanced training with senior curators and textile conservators at the V&A in London and the Museo Nacional de Traje in Lisbon, and is an alumna of The Attingham Trust, London. She actively contributes to conferences and shares her expertise through media productions, lectures and educational outreach. She is Vice-Chair of ICOM-Malta.
Caroline is currently working on Fashion Heritage: From Storage to Digital Revival, a practice-based research project supported by Arts Council Malta.
Selected Media features
The Malta Independent, Marie Benoit’s Diary: A passion for fashion
Malta Fashion Week 25th Anniversary, Icon Award 2023
Malta Today, My Essentials: Caroline Tonna’s cultural picks, Laura Calleja
