Is Cyprus the perfect melting pot for different fashion-cultures? Exposed as suddenly and totally as Michael Jackson, this island found itself at the mercy of materialism, new-money, western marketing ploys and rich eastern men who would buy anything for the sake of buying. What does this make of Style ten years later?
“They think him the best dressed man, whose dress is so fit for his use that you cannot notice or remember to describe it.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
In the light of such an assertion, one can definitely be proud of the ancient Greek beauties. Their flowing, white dresses have captured the fancy of many and yet still, it is hard to say, cut and dry, how exactly these dresses were. It is the idea of that gentle, white fold, and the glimmer in the golden ornaments that make them embody femininity. The freedom their design gives to the designer proved itself opportunistic in the ever-exploring route of Fashion.So, with such heritage, do we, as the distant (Being the understatement of the century) descendants of the most desired goddess in the mythology, have a chance?
On the island where the roads of tax planning, gigantic shipping cargoes, thousands of tourists and dozens of cultures meet on the daily, Fashion and Style has taken a new stance in the past couple of years. Those of us, who have arrived to Cyprus prior to 2000, can clearly see the developments that have taken place. The main streets of the towns continue to fill themselves up with “fancy-shmancy” shops, replacing one another in a glamorous frenzy, while the consumers take out bank loans to buy Gucci. With such a hasty induction into the cash-rich, foreign-investment-magnetic fate of the new-born century,Cyprus had to quickly adapt and equalize itself with the rest of the European countries, which were now pouring their sizzling influence on the native rock-soil. The fashion volcano has erupted and the island of love was once again formed: fabulous, hot but, nonetheless, baffled.
With such an exposure to free-flowing, new-money business was quickly found in the niches of high-quality clothes and accessories. But let’s face it, we are being exploited. In comparison to other countries, the prices are sky-high (unless we are comparing toMoscow, of course!) yet due to the lack of alternative, brand-named shops are gleefully and liberally overpricing while offering you Toffee at the cashier to compensate. The toffee is the better part of it. The worst part is that we are even more gleefully and liberally accepting it, while signing yet another credit receipt.
So what happens now that we are in the European Union? Will it eventually lead to a complete havoc of fashion-obsessed compulsive purchases, or will the balance shift and the market will offer more, giving us back our original right; the freedom of choice? Because let’s face it; it is not seldom you walk down the street and your “style-twin” walks towards you.
My guess is as good as yours. But while we speculate about this life-altering future of ours, and admire the stylishly big and sparkly Chopard around our wrist, let’s enjoy the dissection of today’s Fashion in Cyprus and across our Alfa-woman planet. I sincerely hope to carry out this “operation” with flair and amusements so that one day you may say – one small step for Style, one giant step for onthisisland! 🙂
Assistant, scissors! Let the unstitching begin!
Yours truly,
Sophie Krum
