FHNC 2025 Programme - 'Sustaining Tradition to Craft the Future'

Applications are now CLOSED

Location: Ideally based in Cyprus and can commute to Nicosia for relevant workshops and events

Type: Voluntary 

Duration: February 2025 – November 2025 with an option of staying on thereafter according to future projects 

Deadline:  Friday 31st of January – 8pm CY time

About Us:

Fashion Heritage Network Cyprus (FHNC) is a dynamic and innovative fashion collective dedicated to promoting cultural heritage, sustainability, and creativity through the creation of unique fashion pieces.  The heritage of Cypriot fashion is incredibly abundant and exquisite. Our goal is to revitalize traditional Cypriot fashion techniques, embroidery, and materials, breathing new life into them and ensuring their relevance in the contemporary world while preserving their historical significance. We are a youth-led intercommunal project, with over 30 members and have showcased our work in both Cyprus and abroad. We have hosted various popular fashion events in Cyprus and the UK, which gained a lot of media exposure. 

We provide a platform for emerging designers and artists to collaborate and showcase their talents while embracing cultural heritage and environmental responsibility. This year, we are aiming to host an exclusive fashion exhibition in autumn 2025 showcasing our new FHNC fashion designers pieces.

Fashion Designers Key Responsibilities:

  1. Fashion Design: Create two unique and modern fashion pieces for the upcoming fashion exhibition. Your creations should reflect our commitment to cultural heritage and sustainability, especially this years theme which is traditional techniques i.e weaving, embroidery etc. This will be explained more in the sections below. You can also create jewellery and accessories to complement your pieces.
  2. Attendance at Workshops and Meetings: Attend mandatory workshops focusing on cultural heritage and sustainability. These workshops will enhance your understanding of our mission and guide your creative process. The meetings and workshops will begin in February 2025 and conclude in July 2025.
  1. Feedback Scheme: Participate in regular feedback sessions with industry professionals to receive constructive input on your work, fostering your growth as a designer/artist.
  2. Collaboration: Work closely with fellow designers/artists, sharing ideas, techniques, fabrics, resources, and insights to achieve our team objectives collectively.
  3. Adherence to Deadlines: Meet project milestones and deadlines to ensure the successful completion of your fashion pieces for the show.

Requirements:

  1. Be a Cypriot national (a young person 21 – 35 years old) 
  2. Ideally based in Cyprus and can commute to Nicosia for relevant workshops and events (Cypriots in the diaspora are also welcome to apply but they will have to attend the workshops virtually). 
  3. A degree or diploma in Fashion or other relevant fields. 
  4. At least 2-years experience as a Fashion Designer
  5. Creativity and passion for fashion. 
  6. Proficient in English both in writing and speaking. 
  7. Committed to a 10-month project, including attendance at mandatory workshops and feedback sessions. In the event of unavoidable absence, a valid reason must be provided.
  8. Be a team player and can work collaboratively with a diverse team of designers, artists, and industry professionals.
  9. An understanding of Cypriot cultural heritage and sustainable design and a willingness to learn more about these two subjects. 
  10. Work in partnership with the social media team and share with them both general content about yourself and behind-the-scenes content such as photos and videos showcasing your design process, sneak peeks, video interviews, and Instagram takeovers. 
  11. Complete the task provided. (in the other document)

Key Benefits For Fashion Designers:

  • Portfolio enhancement through high-quality project outcomes.
  • Opportunities to meet and collaborate with industry professionals.
  • Showcase their work on both local and international platforms.
  • Extensive networking opportunities with artisans, designers, and fashion experts.
  • Participation in heritage and sustainability workshops.
  • Access to business and fashion workshops for professional growth.
  • Educational trips to explore traditional techniques and cultural practices.
  • Hands-on mentorship and lessons from experienced local artisans.
  • Exposure through media coverage and fashion exhibitions.
  • Guidance on integrating traditional crafts into contemporary fashion.
  • Support in developing sustainable and innovative designs.
  • Opportunities to gain recognition and build a professional reputation.
  • A chance to contribute to preserving cultural heritage while shaping modern fashion.
  • Enhance your knowledge of Cypriot fashion heritage 
  • Produce an innovative garment design from original research.
  • Certificate of Participation
Read Testimonials By Previous Participants

Overview & Plan

The Fashion Heritage Network Cyprus (FHNC) is dedicated to preserving and celebrating traditional Cypriot fashion heritage by connecting young designers with skilled artisans. Many traditional techniques, such as weaving, embroidery, and non-textile crafts like basket weaving, are at risk of disappearing. FHNC bridges this gap by fostering collaboration between artisans and emerging designers to blend heritage with modern innovation.

In 2025, we will pair 7–10 designers with local artisans to learn foundational techniques like alatzia, sayia, lefkaritiko, and more. Over 10 mentoring sessions from February to June, artisans will guide designers in creating sustainable, innovative pieces inspired by Cypriot traditions. Designers can either co-create or develop their work independently with artisan mentorship. The applicant has the choice to recommend an artisan they would like to work with. Nonethless, FHNC has a list of artisans the fashion designers can collaborate with. 

The programme will culminate in an autumn 2025 fashion exhibition in Nicosia, showcasing the designers’ final pieces. This event will highlight the artisans’ contributions, promote intergenerational knowledge exchange, and foster bicommunal collaboration. Applications open in January 2025, and designers must meet attendance and submission requirements to participate in the showcase.

Through this initiative, FHNC celebrates local talent, preserves cultural heritage, and introduces Cypriot crafts to new audiences in innovative and sustainable ways.

Financial Terms and Conditions: 

Upon joining the network, fashion designers and artists will be required to pay an annual fee of 70 euros, which covers their participation expenses.

Timeline: 

Timeline: February 2025 – November 2025

Time Commitment: Participants will attend one or two team meetings each month, along with one or two workshops, presentations per month. Moreover, the fashion designers will have to meet with their designated artisan at least twice a month starting from March 2025 until July 2025. 

The complete programme schedule will be provided to fashion designers upon acceptance into the programme.

Other Important Notes: 

  • All communication will be in English 
  • Most communication is done virtually via Whatsapp Groups 
  • Virtual team meetings will always occur on weekdays during the evenings or weekends. 
  • Internal in-person workshops will take place on the weekends.
  • The FHNC will not cover any fabric, transportation or any other related expenses.

Task Brief  

Aims:

  • Cultural Revival & Research: Encourage emerging fashion designers and visual artists to research Cypriot cultural heritage and especially fashion heritage in order to revive it through innovative and contemporary sustainable fashion designs or art pieces.
  • Sustainability Integration: Implement sustainable practices in the creation process, including the use of existing fabrics, material swapping, and exploring traditional Cypriot sustainability techniques like natural dyes.
  • Celebrating artisans and crafts: Each designer will paired up with an artisan to learn from them and work together to create modern fashion pieces inspired by their selected traditional Cypriot technic. 
  • Innovative Design: Innovate Cypriot cultural heritage within the designs, emphasizing a blend of fashion and contemporary art. 

The Creative Task: 

As part of this application process, you have been requested to create a mood board and/or initial sketches based on the main theme of: “Reviving Cypriot cultural weaving and fashion heritage techniques  through innovative and contemporary sustainable fashion designs.”

Requirements of Design 

  • Sustainable 
  • Evident inspiration from Cypriot cultural heritage 
  • Wearable styles ( not avant-garde) 
  • Contemporary 
  • Creative/Innovative 

See more details in the application Information Pack

How to Apply:

Kindly complete the Application Form, providing responses to questions and submitting your resume, completed task, and work portfolio. Our team will thoroughly review all applications, and you will receive an email notification of your application status by the middle of February. 

For more information please download the: Information Pack 

Application Deadline: Friday 31st of January at 8pm CY time 

 If you have any questions, please email us at fashionheritage.cy@gmail.com

We will respond to your application by the 15th of Feburary 

Good Luck!

Apply Now
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