Buttardi/Rebuttanti
The other day I went into a boutique to buy a present for a friend. I picked out a necklace. As the shop assistant packed it nicely, the name on the label began to ring loud alarm bells.
BUTTARDI.
BUTTARDI, BHALISSA…?
Hang on, I said to myself. That’s Michelle Muscat’s pin-money thing. No way am I going to buy one of her frigging gizirani, no way am I going to give it to a friend (she’ll think I’m spoofing her – “Here’s one that the Mexxej tal-Partit Laburista’s wife made earlier”) and no way would she ever wear it, on principle.
“I’ve changed my mind,” I told the girl behind the counter. “I’m taking this handbag instead.”
You see, I’d forgotten – when I wrote earlier that Michelle should lead by example – that she in fact a Major International Jewellery Mogul With a Pan-Ewropa Business.
I trotted over to her website, and found this:
During Summer of 2003, Buttardi was launched in Europe and Michelle Tanti took over the European Sales and Promotion Management of Buttardi. Michelle Tanti works in Public Relations and is an ultimate jewelry lover herself. Through private viewing and social events, she has created an exclusive way of buying these original hand made pieces with a Mediterranean touch.
Interesting, isn’t it? Absolutely fascinating. So Mr Husband – or was he Mr Gharus at the time? – campaigns like hell against EU membership. Meanwhile, Michelle Tanti Muscat and her business partner make plans to launch in Europe when and if The Dearly Beloved’s efforts fail.
And a few months after Malta votes Yes to Europe and No to Joseph Muscat’s Arguments, they do.
Michelle is an “ultimate jewelry lover herself”, the website tells us. Indeed. Strange, then, that I have yet to see her photographed wearing any of the pieces she sells or used to sell (ghax daqxejn wahda busy bhalissa, taghmel il-gingerbread men ghal gay friends cool tar-ragel).
Or maybe she just ties Joseph to the kitchen-table legs with those beads. Who knows? Fifty shades of jade and crystal….
Just do us a favour, Michelle, and ruddy well leave him there, won’t you.
Buttardi? More like really very Rebuttanti. Shame they didn’t play on Michelle Tanti’s surname instead of her business partner’s. But they might have thought it wasn’t such an amazing idea to do that.
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She works for Rebuttanti. He works for Dilettanti.
You should have told us this before. Now I’ll have to go through my jewellery, making sure I haven’t bought any she designed. Rest assured, anything I find goes to the bin.
Hang on, you’re saying that we should boycott Buttardi cause the distributor happens to be the Labour leader’s wife?
[Daphne – She’s not the distributor. It’s her company. She’s supposed to be making those things, or designing them. I’m not saying anyone should boycott Buttardi. I wrote that I would never buy or wear anything she designs or makes. “Lovely earrings, Daphne.” “Yes, thank you. Michelle Muscat made them.” Over my dead body.]
A bit harsh on Buttardi don’t you think?
I mean for God’s sake it’s not as if she’s done anything wrong (as in repugnant or blameworthy such as e.g. wearing animal fur, or uttering racist statements) to you or anyone else for that matter.
Be careful Daphne cause you’re starting to sound more like Norman Lowell these days. Don’t let the increase in website hits and website ranking go to your head. And remember that Norman Lowell clips on YouTube are amongst the highest ranking Maltese clips.
[Daphne – Oh, bore off. And please stop posing as an independent observer. For the benefit of those who have just encountered this man: he’s a rabid Laburist. Xi dwejjaq ta’ nies. As for things going to my head, it’s a bit late in the day for that, don’t you think? I’e been a household name since the age of 25. It’s not as though I’m about to let a website ranking go to my head at 47. I don’t think you realise just how long I’ve been around, being dissed and persecuted by at least two generations of Laburisti.]
Diabolika!
Its Michelle’s turn it seems to get the front seat on your blog. Lets see if I can recall the names of all those that had this same privilege over the past months:
Franco Debono (impossible to count the posts dedicated to him)
JPO
Anglu Farrugia
Luciano Busuttil
Karmenu Vella
North Korea
Yana Mintoff Bland
Michelle Muscat
How can I apply?
By showing your true name.
I am independent and proud of it. You won’t believe how refreshing it feels to be able to say what you want and how you want it. Try it.
[Daphne – I have done so consistently since I could first speak, David. This is what I want to say, and this is how I want to say it. The trouble with your lot is that you want me to say that Labour is great. Live another 50 years and it might happen. This is what I want to say: LABOUR IS THE PITS. And this is how I want to say it: LABOUR IS THE PITS. Happy, now?]
David, did you ever try to say what you want and how you want it when there was a Malta Labour Party government?
This is the true story of what happened to those who tried.
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2012/08/guest-post-labour-preaches-freedom-of-expression-thats-rich/
Labour won’t change.
You’re not independent and you’re intelligent enough to know what being independent means. Labour is the pits. Joseph Muscat is not fit to lead the MLP let alone the country. Now there, perhaps that should be enough to convince you that I am not a Labour fan.
Do you know that I shudder when I see Sharon’s brother, his sleazy friend, Dumb Luciano, Tuksy Angel and the rest on the brink of power?
On the other hand the mere thought that GonziPn (god how I love this word) may be in with a chance of continuing in the leadership of this country fills me with dread. He’s been a terrible Prime Minister and has only himself to blame.
This is what being independent means. I can form an opinion based on what I see rather than what I want to see. It’s a rare attribute I know
Also for goodness sake she just takes care of sales and marketing and does not design nor manufacture Buttardi! You know what it takes to design/manufacture designer jewellery on an industrial scale right? It’s not a one man or sme’s job. For heaven’s sake go to sleep… you must be tired.
The Poor Little Bead Girl watched could feel tears welling in her eyes, as The Witch’s Magazine, containing delectable images of mouthwatering dishes fell out of a newspaper the distributor was hauling inside. The rumble in her stomach was deafening.
The Witch’s cruel refusal to buy a little necklace meant that The Poor Little Bead Girl, again, could not afford to put a pot of cabbage stewed with goats cheese on her family dinner table.
Witch is not my personal opinion, but it is important to introduce an evil character into a fairytale
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120808/world/n-korea-first-lady-sports-christian-dior-handbag.431955
Her business partner does all the design work, all Mrs. Great Leader does is make sure it sells …
That’s not that bad, you know. Her husband works for a party that produces nothing, but he still tries to sell it.
If the jewellery is meant to be sold via private viewing and social events (i.e. as in Tupperware), how did this piece end up in a boutique, I ask?