If you hanker after the vintage look, there is a shop in Nicosia just for you
LIVING in Cyprus it is easy to feel a bit isolated when it comes to clothes shopping. Pain, frustration and anxiety are feelings that come to mind when I’ve got the cash but there is no stash. I kill myself wandering around other towns in search of small boutiques that might just have the odd one or two items that hopefully won’t be seen on me and every other girl at a Nicosia café on the same night.
And everything isn’t peachy really when I do find that in particular boutique because a couple of other problems pop up. Either the clothes are far too expensive or there simply isn’t anything you really like, especially with the fashion that is going around lately. OK, well for the past couple of years I have solved my problem by booking a ticket to London for two or three days and finding happiness for more than what it should cost. Does any of this sound familiar? Well, problem solved and you don’t have to leave the country because Flashback brings what you want and I guarantee you, there will be no one else wearing that fabulous blouse because there is no other to wear.
Constantinos and Ioanna spotted the obvious gap in the Cyprus clothes market and decided to do something about it. Keeping in mind what I said before about the fashion that is currently going around, Nicosia has had for the last two years it’s very own vintage shop. Unbelievable, isn’t it? As soon as I heard about it, I was there in a flash and in a matter of minutes, chatting away to Constantinos and admiring the small shop that took me all the way to London.
“We had the same problem,” explained Consatntinos, “we were sick and tired of shopping from the same old shops in Cyprus and kept leaving the country. We used to go to London, New York and Berlin, where vintage clothes and accessories are important, to shop. But after a lot of thinking we thought that women in Cyprus have the right to these clothes as well, so we bought them to Cyprus.” Although the idea was very risky, the couple decided to try it out and luckily more and more women are appreciating vintage.
“The first year was a bit difficult but gradually we have gotten to a point where women are beginning to understand the concept of Flashback,” said Constantinos. One of the most important factors about the shop is that although all the clothes and accessories are vintage, many of these are designer vintage. “We’ve got Diane Von Furstenberg, Pucci, Gucci, Channel and many more,” Constantinos said showing me an absolutely fabulous Diane Von Furstenberg dress. “There are some things that never go out of fashion and a Channel bag is always a good accessory to have in your wardrobe,” he added.
Looking around the shop, which isn’t big (also very important as it means you can check everything out), made me wonder why something like this does not exist anywhere else in Cyprus. “The main reason is that people in general don’t really know how to appreciate vintage,” explained Constantinos, “they think it’s junk and rubbish whereas abroad people blend vintage and commercial clothes together and look great.” Thank God, I’m not the only one. I was beginning to think I was an alien. “But another reason is that the market in Cyprus is small, so you can’t really get the whole flea market thing going on that easily,” Constantinos said.
Racks of floral and multi-coloured dresses beg you to have a look, Jacki Onassis sunglasses just the way they are supposed to look are available and Dolce&Gabbana shoes are really just to die for. Everything is cheaper, has more style and is, above all, appreciated. Just remember, don’t be afraid to try out something new because it’s not really new, it’s vintage.
l Flashabck, 10 Costi Palama Street. Tel: 22 680350
