Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Zoey Philippou. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Zoey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I believe life is all about taking risks, if you don’t get out of your comfort zone you won’t be able to ever know your true self and what you can accomplish. For me the most important risk i took so far was the decision to start my small business. It wasn’t a risk in terms of what i had to loose, the hard part for me was to let other people in and be seen through my work, without seeking validation from the outside world and no matter the end result. At the time I was living in a 9-5 designer’s job everyday loop, which was draining my creative energy away and just by taking this step forward i managed to break out of this

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

After studying Graphic design & Advertising, doing an MA in Animation and working for a few years as a Graphic designer i realised that a graphic designer’s 9-5 was not fulfilling my creative needs. ​At first I created Cherry and Mint in 2014 in a form of an art blog, i wanted to create a space where i could share my work as well as to push my self creatively in order to evolve and explore my personal art style and thats were i experimented and fell in love with textile design.
At the same time I was working on my sewing skills, fashion design was something i always loved and had at the back of my mind, i started making clothing pieces for me and my friends as a way to get away from mass produced items, plus the idea of wearing something that can bring out your uniqueness was always exciting for me.
When i realised that the two things i love the most (fashion design & textile design) could be combined, i decided to create my own print focused fashion brand with colourful wearable art pieces which i couldn’t name anything else other than my blog’s name “Cherry and Mint”
So for the last few years, i have been a one woman small fashion brand, were i get to wear all the hats of the business from packaging and shipping to creating textile designs and sewing clothing pieces in my home studio in Cyprus.
One of my aims through Cherry and Mint is to design season less and versatile clothing pieces inspired but not solely based on fashion trends, that can be part of someone’s wardrobe for many years to come. I also believe in the power of dressing for your mood and that’s why C&M pieces aim to bring joy through colourful prints and patterns to anyone who chooses to wear them.
I couldn’t be prouder of how much i’ve grown and the things i’ve learned through running my small fashion brand, like the negative impact fast fashion has to the environment, Therefore I try to be as sustainable as i can in the process. Apart from my textiles printed with eco-friendly inks and the use of organic fabrics, once a year i create a small ready-,made collection made entirely out of remnant fabrics. I also regularly design new products for my core zero-waste patchwork collection that is available on my website all year long and helps me dramatically minimise my brand’s waste when someone purchases one of these pieces

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect for me is to see people proudly wearing clothing pieces from my clothing brand and expressing their identity through my art. It still gets me every time when someone shares a picture on social media

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

From the first moment of starting my small business my mission was to be able to blend work, creativity and eventually financial freedom by doing what i love most without feeling trapped in the norm of an office job. The goal is to pass this onto other people as well creating pieces and textile designs that are out of the norm and make your day to day even brighter and special when worn. My motto which is also written on my clothing tags is “inspired by the urge to survive the dullness of everyday life” so i would say that being able to be creative in my everyday is what gives me fuel to go on

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cherryandmint.com
• Instagram: @cherry_and_mint