And suddenly you know it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings. Beginnings are always hard. Whoever said they aren’t has lied – 100%. Beginnings are also scary and overwhelming. Your everyday routine, your whole life, suddenly turns upside down. Everything changes. How it all actually started I am no stranger to change. I’ve embraced change throughout my life, my career to be exact. You may have read or heard this about me, but I’ve started my career as I Scientist, completing an Undergrad in Biomedical Sciences and a Master’s at the University of Oxford in Clinical Embryology. As cliché as this next sentence might sound, it is nothing but the truth. Fashion was (and thankfully still is) my passion. I am not one of the girls that grew up reading Vogue magazine and playing dress up in their mother’s clothes. I am not one of the young girls who collaged images and fabric swatches in their art class in elementary school. My genuine interest in the fashion industry started when I was 18 years old. Not quite sure when the exact moment was, but it was a turning point. I started watching all the latest shows on Fashion TV, looking all the images on Style.com and buying and reading books on all the main designers. I slowly and shyly took it one step further by completing short courses on drawing, pattern cutting and sewing; and interning at Harper’s Bazaar UK whilst I was studying in London. Decision time – part 1 After completing my Master’s degree, I had to make a decision: take the easier route and continue onto my science path or take a leap of faith and try and pursue my dream. My acceptance in Parsons in New York was the true beginning of this brand. And as I said, it was scary. In two years I tried to learn as much as I could around the field of fashion design, not only through my course but through my internships at Prabal Gurung and Rag&Bone. Completing that two-course degree was extremely hard, but having my final collection chosen to show at the end of the year was very rewarding and probably the first (even thought small) proof that this dream could one day become something. Career milestones In the summer of 2015 I moved to London and a few weeks later I got a design internship at Erdem. A year later I was taken on as a Design Assistant, focusing on embroidery design. Working in such a prestigious company and working alongside an extremely talented group of people was amazing. A while later, an opportunity arose for a Junior Designer at Mary Katrantzou. Working for Mary had been my dream since Day 1. I absolutely adore print and colour and there is no doubt that no one can do that better than Mary. When I applied for the job I honestly never thought I would make it. But I did! That job, was without a doubt the most important chapter in my career. I learned so much with working so closely with Mary – just by watching her and following the way she thinks about colour and print and the relation of that to the female body is incomparable. That job also allowed me to meet some truly inspiring people, or should I say friends, that I know will be part of my life forever. One would then wonder: if that was your dream job then why did you leave? Very valid question – I’ll give you that. Almost two years later I felt like I had grown tremendously and learned so much, but I needed a new challenge something completely new. That’s what led me to Ted Baker, where I worked for a year as a Senior Designer in Womenswear focusing on occasion wear dresses, tailoring and outerwear. Working at Ted Baker was a completely different, yet equally exciting and rewarding experience. Being part of such a big company and big team comes with huge responsibilities but equally big emotional reward. I got to meet extremely important people in the field, got to travel all around the world and got to see loads of people in the street wearing my designs (I have to admit, that feeling is priceless). Decision time – part 2 In February 2019, faith – and my husband – brought me back home. Yet again, I was faced with a decision. Try and find a design job in Cyprus or take an even bigger leap of faith and do this. You might have figured it out by now; I’m not a person that plays it safe, not in my career anyway. The true beginning of this wonderful chapter CHÁRIS was born in April 2019, in an attempt to bring to the industry a different type of womenswear and occasion wear pieces made with unique, colourful prints, delicate laces and bold colours in luxurious fabrics. Design detail and quality are key for the brand. The first collection, Spring/Summer 2019, is a mixture of everything I love and everything I want this brand to represent: class, elegance, femininity and sexiness. Bold prints and colours, laces and a touch of evening wear are all big parts of this collection. Although still a baby, my baby, the plans for the future are huge and endless. As one friend of mine once told me: “The world is your oyster!” SHARE