‘I love women’
The fashion industry is on its knees in Cyprus but one young fashion designer with international acclaim is hoping to change that
Fashion! The word immediately brings to mind images of popping lightbulbs, catwalks, models and the top cities such as Milan, Paris, New York and London. It is a glamorous, multi-million pound industry worlds away from our quiet lives in Cyprus. But is it? While up to now, it would be fair to say the closest Cyprus comes to high fashion are the expensive boutiques on Nicosia’s Stasikratous Street, with the recent opening of Emilio Panayi’s studio in Limassol – a fashion designer sought after by Vivienne Westwood and D&G – it’s safe to say that we’re moving up the fashion ladder.
Entering Emilio’s studio, there is an atmosphere of elegance. There is nothing extravagant about it, it is the pure understatement that is so appealing. And, just like his spacious, white-walled, simple display of a few gorgeous garments, Emilio is a down-to-earth yet extremely talented young man.
“I grew up in the textile industry. My father owned a factory and my mother a boutique, so I always knew that somehow this would be the job for me,” he explained. After completing his A levels in the UK with an impressive fashion project, Emilio was accepted at the London College of Fashion, from where he graduated to huge acclaim; some of the fashion industry’s biggest names were blown away by his talent and offered him a job.
Emilio did not accept. “I was determined to start on my own and although working under these big names is any young designer’s dream, I decided to pass.” With his parents’ help, Emilio had already established a customer base and began working right away.
However, his plans did not limit him to London; he intended to go international and what better place to start than the centre of commerce and trade: Cyprus. “Well, my parents were here for two years and after visiting the island I realised there was a lot of potential and if I was able to crack the Cyprus market, I could do anything.” Indeed, from the moment Emilio set up shop in Limassol, word got around and he is now gaining ground among couture-thirsty women. His clientele includes Cypriot, Bulgarian, Russian, Arab and English women, some of whom love his designs so much they flew in from London to Larnaca to watch his first fashion show in late November. The show was a success and the designer’s hand-beaded, almost artistic yet completely wearable pieces – under the Aemilius label – were quickly snapped up.
Wearability is one of his trademarks. “Sometimes you see something on the catwalk and know that there’s no way of wearing it and you’re probably right but that’s because most designers get carried away with their theme, they enter a more artistic world that doesn’t work on normal, everyday people. I avoid that.”
And Emilio’s theme? The love of women. “I love women,” he said laughing. “Every woman I meet is an inspiration to me and I immediately notice any woman that walks into my shop because that’s what inspires me.” And that’s why he keeps a pad in every room of his house, in his car and at his shop. He constantly comes up with ideas by socialising, gathering info and design ideas in the process, then secludes himself until his collection is complete. The drawings are passed on to his staff, who sew away on hand picked fabrics from Paris and Milan in a workshop above his studio, where alterations also take place. “I work on individuals. My designs are one-off pieces, so if a client requests one of them, I will work on it until it’s perfect for that individual person and character,” he explained.
This is not fashion design for the fame and glory, for Emilio it’s enough to keep his clients happy and stylish. When I asked him which celebrity he would like to dress, he answered “No one I guess. I just take pleasure in catering for women and being an observer.”
Emilio Panayi Tel: 99 301189
