Her effort to prove her worth as a young employee in the same company headed by her aunt Artemisia Panayiotou, the confirmation of her entrepreneurial instinct for investing in the department store in Acropolis in the 1990s, as well as the transmission of her enthusiasm and passion for fashion and retail to her children, Michalis and Artemis, among many other things, has been shared, by the CEO of Voici la Mode Group of Companies, Artemis Antoniadou.
In a fireside chat, within the framework of INSPIRE 2025, with the General Manager of Voici la Mode Group of Companies, Michalis Antoniadis, the mother and son jointly analysed the multiple challenges and difficulties of their journey in the retail sector, the particularity of a working environment in a family business, as well as the defining events in their careers in the Group.
The investment in Acropolis was a good one in terms of results
The CEO of Voici la Mode Group of Companies, Artemis Antoniadou, described the fashion retail sector as demanding and constantly evolving, referring to countless challenges and difficulties.
The first and decisive challenge in shaping her business profile was her aunt Artemisia Panayiotou, to whom, after her return from her studies in London, she was asked to prove that she could stand by her side in the company.
"At first, I understood that it was difficult for her to entrust me with responsibilities and decisions, as I belonged to the younger generation of the company at the time. While I was initially disappointed, I later understood that my aunt was a self-made businesswoman of the time with a vision, who built the Group with hard work and effort," she noted.
However, her business instinct and sound judgment were proven in the 1990s, when retail was booming in central Nicosia.
"While my aunt had decided to invest in a new large store in the centre of the capital, giving the relevant down payment, I considered this particular move wrong, as we already had stores in Ledra, Makariou and Onasagorou.
"So I suggested that we utilise land in Acropolis and expand outside the centre, and in the end she understood that I had an entrepreneurial instinct like hers," Antoniadou emphasised, explaining that this specific move turned out to be the right one in the end.
Her children's innate interest and expansion in Romania
Making special mention of the innate interest of her children, Michalis and Artemis, both in the company and in the fashion retail industry, and who as children closely watched their mother work hard in the office and in the stores, Artemis Antoniadou acknowledged that her two sons are committed to the Group.
"I always liked my job, I felt satisfaction and enthusiasm in the fashion industry, something that was also transferred to my children, who showed an innate interest in this particular field. Most importantly, however, for me, they learned to appreciate the effort and hard work of colleagues and to respect the staff," she pointed out.
A pivotal moment in Artemis Antoniadou's career was 2014, when Marks and Spencer's expansion in the Balkans was in the works, with the Voici la Mode Group being scouted to take over the agency in Romania.
"The big offer came from London and then we considered it the ideal momentum, as we saw Romania as an opportunity for expansion in order to go outside the borders of our small Cyprus for the first time," said the CEO of Voici la Mode Group of Companies, describing the signing of a franchise agreement with Marks and Spencer London, in early 2016, to take over the agency in Romania, as a defining moment in her career.
The focus on Cyprus and Romania and the responsibility of the third generation
The General Manager of Voici la Mode Group of Companies, Michalis Antoniades, had, before his return to Cyprus from his studies in London, expressed to his mother his ambition to join the Group, his tireless effort to acquire the necessary resources to be able to offer something to the Group, but also his desire to develop the company and contribute to its growth.
Analysing the distrust that someone working in a family business can face, he emphasised that Artemis Antoniadou was a source of inspiration for him and his brother.
"In a family business, it's natural for others to wonder whether you really have the necessary skills or whether you took on a position because you belong to the family. Our mother is our mentor and since I was a little child, she has grounded me and lifted me up at the same time, something only a parent can do," he added.
"The saying goes that the first generation builds the business, the second generation expands it and the third abandons it to decline or failure. However, as a member of the third generation, I am not here to shake the solid foundations, but feeling the great weight of this responsibility, I can at the same time innovate with new markets, new strategies and technological development," Antoniades outlined, among other things, in the fireside chat, within the framework of INSPIRE 2025.
Expressing his ambition to hand over the business to the fourth generation with even stronger foundations, he emphasised that his vision is for the group to be even stronger, more flexible and more technologically advanced within the next five years, in a collective effort with all management executives.
“In the next three years, we will focus on Romania and neighbouring countries, with Cyprus remaining our base, introducing new shopping experiences for our audience,” Michalis Antoniades noted. He also underlined the need to take risks, pointing out that, despite the small failures that may occur, efforts are expected to bear fruit in order to bring about successes in the future.
The experience that marked his career at the group was in 2020 when the British fashion giant Arcadia (Topshop, Topman, etc.) declared bankruptcy overnight.
"We were their franchise partners in two countries, with 15 stores in four years, and although this bankruptcy was a huge blow to us, we still had the belief and self-confidence that we could turn it into an opportunity."
We had to inspire our people, our partners, and in just six months, we launched five new brands in the stores that were closed, achieving the breakthrough," pointed out the General Manager of Voici la Mode Group of Companies.
A leader, according to him, is not someone who does not bend, but someone who can have a vision, look ahead, guide and inspire his teams to overcome.
The fireside chat was moderated by George Zervides, Marketing & Brand Specialist/Trainer.
Partners & Sponsors
Strategic Partner: Cyta Business
Platinum Sponsor: Bank of Cyprus
Gold Sponsors: ECOMMBX, Zorbas Group, Cyfield
Silver Sponsors: PwC Cyprus, Petrolina, Bioland
Academic Sponsor: University of Nicosia
Stage Sponsors: National Bank of Greece (Cyprus), KPMG Cyprus, Odyssey, CyRIC/Gravity Ventures Incubator, Invest Cyprus
Panel Sponsors: HRDA, OPAP
Podcast Presenter: Payabl.
Sponsors: Hermes Airports, IMR, Libertex
Technology Partner: Kotsovolos
Community Partner: TechIsland, Junior Achievement Cyprus
Innovation Partner: Research & Innovation Foundation (IDEK)
Mobility Partner: Pilakoutas Group
Sustainable Transport Partner: Cyprus Public Transport
Sustainability Partner: Electricity Authority of Cyprus
Coffee Partner: Coffee Berry
Partner: Charalambides Christis
Supporters: ASBIS, CSR Cyprus, Capacitor Partners, HJS Insurance Agents, Mastercard, Robura, Superad, Kapodistrias, Photos Photiades Breweries & Epilogi, Voici La Mode Group of Companies, GrantXpert, Gap Vassilopoulos, Techbiz, Grow Sustainability Consulting, ASBIS, Murex, Drastyc, Bolt
With the support of: Cyprus Computer Society, CITEA, CPMA, Youth Board of Cyprus, OEB, Skills Cyprus, National Betting Authority
Media Sponsors: Alpha Cyprus, CBN, IN Business, Reporter, SuperFM
Organizer: IMH
Under the auspices of: Municipality of Nicosia
- INSPIRE 2025 – Where passion meets action, and action changes the world.
