Exhibition celebrates Cyprus’ cultural identity while pushing the boundaries of contemporary design

Reimagining Cyprus’ rich traditions and empowering the next generation of Cypriot designers is the aim of a three-day bicommunal exhibition by the Fashion Heritage Network Cyprus in early November. Crafting Continuity will bridge the island’s fashion heritage and traditional crafts with modern creativity.

A group of young Cypriot designers and master artisans from across Cyprus and the diaspora came together to display works and techniques that preserve, praise and sustain Cypriot fashion for a more sustainable future.

On November 7-9, The Picnic in Nicosia will host the results of the project in which young designers worked alongside skilled artisans to learn endangered crafts such as land-loom weaving, Lefkara and Lapithos embroidery, and basketry. The outcome is a series of original, forward-looking fashion pieces that celebrate Cyprus’ cultural identity while pushing the boundaries of contemporary design.

Also launching as part of Crafting Continuity is the inaugural issue of Fashion Heritage Network Cyprus’ independent publication, Defteri. Created to preserve and reimagine Cyprus’ fashion heritage, Defteri is a multidisciplinary magazine that blends sustainability, cultural memory and creativity through essays, interviews and visual narratives. Developed by a collective of writers, designers and cultural practitioners from across Cyprus and the diaspora, Defteri amplifies the voices shaping the island’s evolving craft culture and will be unveiled during the exhibition.

“Crafting Continuity offers a unique opportunity to experience how centuries-old techniques are evolving into future-facing fashion,” says FHNC director Christina Dymioti.

Built on the belief that cultural knowledge and craftsmanship are essential to community resilience, environmental awareness and intergenerational connection, this exhibition highlights the deep sustainability already embedded in Cypriot heritage from natural dyeing to reuse, repair and upcycling.

Beyond a celebration of craft and design, Crafting Continuity also deepens bi-communal collaboration and youth engagement, connecting designers and artisans from across divided communities and the Cypriot diaspora. These partnerships keep traditions alive while fostering dialogue, creativity and collective cultural pride.

Participating in the exhibition are the designers Andreani Panayide and Valentina Koutsoudis from Folkmona, Andrea Rotsaki – ROTS, Anna Michaelidou-Yiavrimou, Elin Yurtdaş, İlkan Koral – ILKAN.KO, Mert Özyürekliler-Shirvanna, Rengin Akcan – RA Studio, Şafak Bekiroğlu – the besque, Stephanos Panayides – spangold, Fashion House Tülay Kader and the artists Aysel Kuburlu – HASDER, Behice Sönmez Biran – B.S. Biran Handicraft Centre, Katerina Demetriou Jones, Katerina Efstratiou Weaving Studio, Yiannis Yiavris and Sıddıka Bilsen Ruso.

Crafting Continuity

Three-day bicommunal exhibition blending traditional Cypriot handicrafts with contemporary approaches. November 7-9. The Picnic, Asklipiou 36, Nicosia 1011. https://fashionheritagecy.com