Cyprus has given fashion one of its most experimental minds. Hussein Chalayan was born in Nicosia in 1970, and Erotokritos also grew up on the island. Both built their labels abroad, starting in 1994. At home, the scene stayed small…
Bosnia and Herzegovina sews for some of the biggest names in fashion. Factories in towns like Travnik, Bugojno and Zenica make clothing and shoes for labels such as Hugo Boss and Golden Goose. Its own brands, however, grew from a…
Albania has dressed half of Europe without putting its own name on the label. Factories around Tirana, Durrës and Berat sew clothes and shoes for Italian and German brands. In 2021, almost two thirds of those exports went to Italy….
Uruguayan fashion is small in scale but rich in raw materials. Merino wool and cattle leather shape much of what local brands make. Manos del Uruguay has turned rural women’s knitting into a global export since 1968. Lolita began in…
Slovak fashion has deep industrial roots that most shoppers never notice. Slovenka started knitting in Martin in 1921, and Baťa set up the Tatrasvit hosiery works in Svit in 1934. Jan Nehera then founded the company behind Ozeta in 1939….
Israeli fashion grew out of necessity long before it chased trends. ATA dressed kibbutz workers in sturdy khaki from 1934, and Naot began making work boots on a Galilee kibbutz in 1942. Lea Gottlieb then turned a raincoat business into…
Trinidad and Tobago has a fashion scene shaped by Carnival more than by any fashion week. Every year, designers create costumes, “Monday wear” and resort pieces for the biggest street festival in the Caribbean. That seasonal rhythm gives local labels…
Haiti’s fashion scene lives in two places at once. Port-au-Prince has workshops that hand-paint fabric, cut leather and turn old tires into sandals. Meanwhile, some of the best-known Haitian names design from Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Boston and even Rome. The island’s…
The Dominican Republic has around eleven million residents and one of the largest diasporas in New York. That link shapes its fashion more than anything else. Some of the best-known Dominican labels are run from Manhattan or Brooklyn, while Santo…
Wales built much of its clothing history on wool. Small mills once lined its valleys, weaving the double cloth that still appears in Welsh tapestry blankets. Later, the town of Cardigan ran Britain’s biggest jeans factory, until production moved abroad…