BE OPEN and CVAR present Here Come the Cypriots, a celebration of Cypriot heritage through the history of fashion

ZURICH, Oct. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BE OPEN Foundation and the Centre of Visual Arts and Research (CVAR) presents Here Come the Cypriots—a cultural event that brings history to life through fashion and commerce in the form of a garments show. The event will take place in Nicosia, on 18 October 2025, at 18:30.

A fusion of history and performance, Here Come the Cypriots will showcase garments spanning from the Ottoman era to the British colonial period and into modernity. These garments reflect how fashion has served as a visual marker of social change, economic shifts, and cultural interactions. By blending historical fashion and live performances, Here Come the Cypriots offers an innovative approach to understanding Cyprus's past while encouraging reflection on its cultural legacy. The period costumes will be presented on the catwalk by teenagers from local schools.

As an international initiative, BE OPEN is proud to be part of the celebration of Cypriot heritage. Founder Elena Baturina explains: "Cyprus's rich artistic and artisanal history inspires and presents a rich background for such projects — both educating and entertaining, connecting the past and the future, weaving together clothes-making traditions and contemporary fashion design. The format of a street festival provides a pathway to engaging everyone with Cypriot. Involving schoolchildren into showcasing the centuries of fashion will serve to expand their knowledge and inspire love, respect, and appreciation of their history, culture and the scope of their own self-expression."

Proudly contributing to the project, BE OPEN continues to involve Cyprus's youth into educational and artistic projects. Previously, the foundation held an exhibition of artwork by young Mediterranean artists, co-hosted educational sessions for schoolchildren, each consisting of a lecture on craft-related entrepreneurship and a master-class of traditional Cypriot weaving. It also offered a few more programmes that young people of Cyprus could benefit from, including the UNSDG-themed student competition programme that aims to encourage creation of innovative solutions for a more prosperous and sustainable future.

BE OPEN is a sociocultural non-profit foundation set up by international philanthropist Elena Baturina. It develops ways to harness the creative power of younger generations through a variety of artistic and educational projects.

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