The company's founder, Mr George Ioannides, started the business back in the 1940s when he moved to Famagusta. The main line of the business was trading of fabric for the local clothing industry which was gradually developing. By 1974 the company became one of the main suppliers for the fashion market. Following the events of 1974 the company relocated to Larnaca and from that base has been supplying the whole of the island with an enhanced product range which included apart from fabrics for the clothing industry, upholstery fabrics and linen for household items. The company's vision is to offer unique creative solutions at competitive pricing both to the fashion industry but also to the household segment. It places a lot of importance in offering unique fabric designs by embracing creativity in all the aspects of the value chain. In line with this policy it is being involved in projects which require novel approaches and designs. The company's Chief Creative Officer, Ms K. Ioannidou, a designer by profession, is spearheading these efforts. Within this context the company is participating in the present project.

 Key Personnel

Ms Kika Ioannidou

Ms Kika Ioannidou is a Cypriot fashion designer with more than thirty years of experience in the fields of pret-a-porter and haute couture fashion. She was the first qualified fashion designer on the island of Cyprus, and the first to create two ready-to-wear collections a year. Kika was born in Cyprus in 1960 and received her degree in Fashion Design at the University of Manchester. After working for Emmanuel's (the haute couture house that designed Princess Diana's wedding dress) and Marks and Spencer's as a designer, she returned to Cyprus in 1986 and started her own label, initially titled Kiki Collection. As the first fashion designer on the island, Kika has stamped the fashion scene with her indelible style and passion for impeccably tailored women's garments. Her love for appliqué detail and her need for re-inventing forms and juxtaposing materials is what defines the Kika Ioannidou brand as one of a kind. Kika has dressed and styled Cyprus’ Eurovision Song Contest entries on many occasions. Her work has been featured in numerous Cypriot publications and in 2008 was named Madame Figaro's Fashion Designer of the Year. Her Spring/Summer 2010 collection was named as one of the Top 12 collections of the season by Fashion Insider magazine. In 2012 she participated and co-organized the Hellenic American Union's exhibition 'Beyond Dress Codes' in Cyprus and at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. She was featured in the Latvian EU Presidency film project #mindpower in the summer of 2015.