Voici La mode Group has been operating in the retail fashion and hospitality industries for over 70 years. The Group represents eight big fashion brands and restaurants in Cyprus – Marks & Spencer, Sfera, Celio, Etam, Undiz, Accessorize & Monsoon, Café La Mode restaurant chain and The Burgerie – and offers 30 points of sale across Cyprus.

It is also the exclusive franchise partner for Marks and Spencer on the Romanian market.
The Group runs as a family business, with great experience, offering quality products at affordable prices, coupled with an excellent customer experience.

The company’s and Group’s top values are development, growth and expansion, not just in the product lines offered, but when it comes to its own people too, the ones defining the Group’s history, present and future.

How it all begun

The business was founded by Artemisia Panayiotou in 1948. Following the trends of the time, she started providing readymade clothing and tailoring services. The first company she cooperated with was the London Fashion Group.
In 1960, her sheer determination and business perception led to the collaboration with St Michael of the famous English brand of clothing, Marks & Spencer. The cooperation agreement with Marks & Spencer’s laid the foundation stone for the Voici La Mode Group.

The massive success of the enterprise, led Artemisia to open a more spacious store in 1965, situated on the capital’s central Makarios Avenue, not so popular at the time.

Customers enjoyed quality service and products, Marks & Spencer style.
The Marks & Spencer’s Acropolis store opened in 1995 and today it ranks amongst the five top selling stores outside the UK.

 

Royal distinction

The highest recognition of Artemisia Panayiotou’s life work came in 1996. She was honoured by Queen Elizabeth II of England with an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for her contribution to trade and strengthening bilateral relations between Britain and Cyprus.

Café la Mode

The first Cafe La Mode opened in 1998 on the third floor of the M&S Acropolis store, to better serve Marks & Spencer customers, based on the same principles of quality and value for money. Quickly embraced by the public, the Café la Mode chain has become a popular family venue for all the family. It has celebrated more than two decades of success.

New brands

In 2006, the Group secured the authorised representation of Celio, the contemporary men’s fashion French chain, founded in 1985.

A decade later, Voici La Mode lands a deal with Arcadia, one of the largest clothing groups in Europe. It was a synergy of strategic importance, as the company added major high street brands to its portfolio, such as Topshop-Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Wallis and Evans.

Expanding abroad

2017 was a landmark year for the Group. The 2^nd generation of the family business achieved its vision of expanding the Voici La Mode network of stores beyond Cyprus.

The Group signed an agreement to be the new franchisee of Marks & Spencer’s in Romania, a country of more than 20 million, taking over 3 stores in Bucharest. The Group was also looking to bring other international brands to the Romanian market.

It managed to do that in 2019, a year of establishment which saw further expansion with Topshop-Topman shops in Romania.

The Group also further strengthened store presence in the two largest local malls and in a global innovation, opened the first Marks & Spencer Kids stand alone store outside the UK, at the ALPHA MEGA Engomi hypermarket.

Strategic investments

The Group acquires a significant part of the Nicosia Mall share capital in 2020, the same year in dynamically goes into e-commerce by creating the myvlmstore.com online store. For the time being, Marks & Spencer Nicosia store items can be purchased online.

Sadly, the pandemic and major fashion brand changes, led to the closure of all Arcadia brands internationally. Seeking new opportunities to expand, the Group is fast to replace this loss; just five months later, four new brands are introduced to the Cyprus market; French lingerie Etam and Undiz, Spanish Sfera, member of the El Corte Ingles Group, the largest department store chain in Europe, as well as Accessorize of London.

The Group maintains its position as one of the largest retail suppliers on the Cyprus market, introducing ten new stores in Nicosia and Limassol (2020), providing excellent service and quality to more than 100 thousand loyal customers.

‘Developing and expanding in Cyprus and beyond is a significant part of a strategy and essentially a natural progression for such a group of companies’.

Vision

The only way is up, with more achievements and successes in the future, without relinquishing the Group’s timeless values. Each and every consumer is special, the point of reference for quality lines and impeccable service.

Personnel-stores

The Group employs more than 400 people, with quite a significant number of these people, working for the company over three decades, an indelible mark of dedication.

The Voici La Mode Group offers thirty (30) points of sales (both stores and branches) in Cyprus and Romania.

Directors

Directors and Management:

– Artemis Antoniadou, Managing Director

– Giorgos Kyprianou, Commercial Director

– Kyriakos Artemi, Operations Director

– Phanos Artemi, Finance Director

– Michalis Antoniades, General Manager.

It’s all about pacing yourself…

The Voici La Mode Group (VLM) has been operating in the retail fashion and hospitality industries for more than 70 years, representing fashion brands, food products and restaurants both in Cyprus and Romania.

It all began in 1948 through the sheer dynamism and entrepreneurial acumen of Artemisia Panayiotou, who started out as a seamstress’ apprentice. Hard work, persistence and perception laid the foundation of an innovative retail fashion group.

‘She is a source of inspiration for female empowerment, a woman who became the model of a Group that stands out in terms of equality, participation and recognition’, says Managing Director Artemis Antoniadou, speaking fondly of her aunt.

She recalled the history, today’s realities and future prospects, noting that ‘…in retail trade and particularly fashion, you simply cannot afford to remain static. You must the one creating the trends and keep coming up with new proposals, much beyond just client demand’.
Voici La Mode is a Group ‘overcoming challenges, thinking ahead, being flexible, adaptable and methodical’.
Antoniadou is optimistic about post-pandemic times, as ‘both the course of our own business as well as the country is a daily reminder that no matter what obstacles may stand in our way, there’s always the next brighter day’.

What’s it like heading up a group with more than seven decades of history?

Plenty of emotions come to mind. Responsibility, pride, anxiety, demands, endless effort, productive cooperation, effective leadership, but above all else, keeping at it, sheer hard work in maintaining what you’ve achieved along the way.

You absolutely need persistent and target oriented vision in achieving evolution and growth. When it comes to retail trade, and more so fashion, you simply can’t afford to remain static. You need to always create trends and present new proposals, beyond mere client demands.

I do feel lucky and blessed to follow in the footsteps of my beloved aunt Artemisia Panayiotou, taking over the leadership of a 70 year group, with many challenges, difficulties, twists and turns, but also success. I lived through the evolution of a small company to the largest fashion group in our country.

From my aunt’s tailoring business, to our first store of imported Paris and London retail fashion, the innovative Marks & Spencer store on Makarios Avenue in 1965, the bold move of opening our first department store off Nicosia centre, in Akropolis, back in 1995 and all the great business moves that followed.

Such as expansion to Romania, becoming the exclusive franchisee of Marks & Spencer in 2017, major Nicosia Mall shareholders in 2019 and the huge success of securing four additional dynamic brands in the midst of the pandemic. I feel proud to be part of this success; it took a great deal of sacrifice, but looking back, it was all worth it.

What does the history carry to present realities and the future?

I feel a sense of vindication about the continuity of the family business, with the 3^rd generation taking on key posts and steadily rising. Since its early steps, the Group has successfully combined a modern business model and corporate governance, along with the pure love and professional bonding of a family business. Along with my cousin Giorgos Kyprianou, Kyriakos Artemis and Phanos Artemi and our children, we pace ourselves and move forward, coupled by the diligence, support and dedication of our people. We are determined and steadfast, reaping the fruit of our efforts proudly, but never arrogant.

Working with professional advisors, we have already designed the VLM evolution and succession plan, securing corporate continuity and progress. We are a Group that rise to the occasion of challenges, thinking ahead, always flexible and methodical. Our feeling is that we offer the Cypriot consumer fulfilling options and proposals, stylish clothing for every taste and need.

DNA

What determined the Group’s DNA?

The personality of our founder Artemisia Panayiotou; she was the first living cell of our DNA. That includes her values, dynamic initiative, the constructive persistence of not taking no for an answer.

Just travel back to Cyprus in the 50s for a minute. A woman with limited education and little knowledge of English, travelling to the UK and negotiating for exclusive representation of the largest retail fashion trader in the country and one of the most well known companies in Europe. And more to the point, actually succeeding; but she wasn’t satisfied with that, she kept up fighting for her vision, building a business. She is a source of inspiration for female empowerment, the model of an organisation distinguished for gender equality, participation and recognition. Her unwavering inner strength is the heritage handed down to the Group’s leadership and our personnel, a personality that determined our DNA. This is the kind of energy one feels when they set foot in one of our 30 stores, it’s how our people talk to customers, the dedication instilled in their service. Respect to clients, appreciation for our personnel, high quality service and products. We simply will not have mediocrity, we want to provide the best possible.

How does corporate social responsibility translate into relevant action?

A business is a living cell that grows along with the people making up the community, so giving back to society must always be a priority to the maximum possible degree. Our goal is to be an active part of this effort and forge programs empowering children and the family, the environment and progress.

That’s why the VLM Group established the Artemisia Panayiotou foundation in 2006, offering scholarships to top-ranking students who don’t have the financial means to enroll in Cyprus universities or abroad. It’s a helping hand, an opportunity that sets them on their way. More than 350 thousand euro has been equally divided to 75 students over the past 15 years.

With a sense of responsibility for environmental protection, the Group has always supported numerous actions.

We implemented Marks and Spencer’s far reaching environmental programme Plan A and in that framework sponsored the purchase of outdoor training equipment for the Pandora park in Nicosia, with the purpose of encouraging exercise in public parks. In 2021 we launched our support for the Cyprus Environment Foundation (CEF), working towards the protection of the local environment, restoring areas of natural beauty and fighting climate change.

The Group also takes part in the RHMC Cyprus work towards creating the first Ronald McDonald House hostel. It will host families of children all over Cyprus being treated at the Archbishop Makarios the 3^rd hospital, as well as other medical centres in the capital. The Group has also been a steadfast supporter of the ‘Hope’ foundation, Vagoni Agapis, Support for Greece, Europa Donna Cyprus and the Αssociation for the Prevention and Handling of Violence in the Family, donating more than half a million to these causes.

Pandemic expansion

Covid was upon us before the economy had a chance to recover from the 2013 crisis. How do you see things moving forward?

We always hear about this Chinese proverb that every crisis presents an opportunity. I tend to think that it’s not about the crisis, but our life and business philosophy. And I explain myself. We face countless such crises in business, unexpected and impossible to control. You’re sitting at your desk and suddenly a pandemic hits, a multinational is bought and all its stores close globally, or a competitor takes a dynamic step forward, affecting you.

These are just a few examples of the unpredictable nature of business, it’s what makes this a fast paced exciting road leading to that amazing feeling of success.

I am really optimistic. The tenacity of both our business and our country is living proof that no matter the obstacles, the next bright day is bound to come.

Where did the company focus during the campaign?

The pandemic challenges were endless. Closures, operational restrictions, difficulties faced by our people, products trapped in warehouses, development plans that were cut short and seeking new brands to make up for the closure of TopShop International.

We are a resilient team; officials and family joined forces, considered all the possible scenarios, went through the necessary processes, put our heads down, worked hard and succeeded.  So no wonder that 2021, a pandemic year, was one of the most successful and profitable for our Group. We opened 10 new stores in Nicosia and Limassol, strengthened our presence in all our fashion brands, including, Marks & Spencer, Celio, Undiz, Etam, Sfera, and Accessorize and launched our e-shop, myvlmstore.com.

So back to my original view; problems, crises and pandemics will always come our way, the question is how we deal with them. You can use them as failure excuses or work hard to turn them into success. Here at VLM we always choose the latter.

I’d like to take the opportunity to publicly express great thanks to everyone standing by our side, supporting us through the years. Our Group employs more than 400 people, with a significant percentage having more than 30 years of service and showing their dedication every single day.

What is designed and planned on paper is realised with the close cooperation, participation and positivity of the people that walk along the same path. Through all this time, I feel lucky that special people, so dear to us, remain an integral, essential part of this successful path.

The Group of Directors and Management. From left to right: Artemios Antoniades (Group Business Development Manager), Artemis Antoniadou (Managing Director), Michalis Antoniades (General Manager) και Kyriakos Artemi (Operations Director). 

A multifaceted social action

Corporate social responsibility has always been the core philosophy of the Voici La Mode Group.

Over time, business actions and activities are aimed towards a long term imprint.

‘We will keep offering sponsorships and investing along the axis of Society, Education, Culture and the Environment, adapted and determined by the social needs of the time’.

Here are some of the most significant of the Group’s actions:

• Artemisia Panayiotou foundation

As founded in 2006 in memory of the late Artemisia Panayiotou, owner and creator of the Voici La Mode Group of Companies. Since 2006 the Foundation has offered scholarships to 50 students, dividing more than €250,000 between them. The Artemisia Panayiotou Foundation offers scholarships to students with impressive educational records, who face economic challenges in their effort to proceed to study in a University in Cyprus or abroad. A number of these scholarships are offered to staff members.

It was founded in 2006 and offers scholarships to students with excellence in education, but facing financial challenges in their efforts to study at universities in Cyprus or abroad.

• Environmental programs.

Following the Plan A initiative launched by M&S UK in 2007, the VLM group helps to build a sustainable future for the environment and society. One of its initiatives was sponsoring the Pandora park in Nicosia by purchasing training equipment for outdoor use.

Since 2021, the Group has been cooperation with the Cyprus Environment Foundation (CEF), an organisation working towards the protection of local flora and fauna, restoration of natural beauty areas and facing climate change.

• Charities. The Group participates in the RHMC Cyprus work for the establishment of the first youth hostel, Ronald McDonald House®, opposite Archbishop Makarios the Third hospital.
• Other actions The Group supports the Elpida Foundation, Vagoni Agapis, Support for Greece, Europa Donna Cyprus and the Association for the Prevention and Handling of Violence in the Family.