The Fashion Heritage Network Cyprus (FHNC) was founded in July 2022. It consists of a group of young Cypriot fashion designers and creatives who aim to explore the beauty and uniqueness of Cypriot fashion heritage through zero-waste and sustainable fashion designs and art pieces.
The FHNC is all about stimulating, re-discovering and re-inventing elements of Cypriot Fashion Heritage and communicating these creative shifts in a sustainable manner to a wide audience. The network consists of 30 members volunteering in various departments such as fashion design, heritage, events, social media, etc.
Cypriot fashion heritage is very unique as it consists of influences from various minorities across the island. The FHNC strives to showcase these influences through its content and fashion pieces. They aim to re-introduce traditional garments, techniques, and materials but with a modern and innovative twist by taking into consideration the present. They aim to celebrate the fashion heritage and its connection with sustainability by engaging the youth.
The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Sustainability should be an objective in our daily life. Therefore, the FHNC commits to creating designs that are environmentally friendly and zero-waste to have the minimum impact on the environment. Furthermore, Cypriot Fashion Heritage is classed as sustainable, as fashion sustainability tactics (i.e reuse, natural dyes, repair, upcycle) were generally used in the past. For this reason, they would like to re-introduce this notion back into people’s lives, especially now that we are living through a climate crisis.
In Cypriot Fashion Heritage, research and re-introduce the fashion sustainability techniques and general fashion design techniques can be found. These methods are either used or further innovated/developed by fashion designers in order to be incorporated into their designs. The aim is to celebrate and preserve these cultural fashion techniques, which will enable both the fashion designers and the general public to shift the ways in which they treat their clothes, thus reinforcing the notion of fashion sustainability.
As an inter-communal project, the FHNC brings together young Cypriot fashion designers and artists from different communities and gives them the opportunity to work together collaboratively, exchange ideas, and showcase their work. Moreover, the network also organizes educational workshops and seminars for its members as well as the chance to present their work on both local and international platforms and network with industry professionals. Through art, they create dialogue and bridges.
They aim to raise awareness about their objectives through:
- Fashion show/exhibition with creative sustainable fashion designs as well as educational information about sustainability and cultural heritage
- Upcycling and Educational Videos
- Fanzine
- Interactive workshops
- Educational Social Media Posts
- Panel/Discussions
- Participating in related events, conferences
