Cyprus start up AION aims to become island’s home for second-hand fashion

Inspired by the popularity of Vinted abroad, one local woman created the app to give Cypriot buyers and sellers a dedicated local marketplace for preloved clothes and accessories

When Aaya moved from France to Cyprus, she soon realised something was missing. While friends back home regularly bought and sold clothes through Vinted, one of Europe’s biggest second-hand fashion platforms, people in Cyprus had no equivalent.

“I saw many people on social media, as well as friends and people around me, talking about how unfortunate it was that Cyprus didn’t have Vinted. Many of us have wardrobes full of clothes and accessories that are still in excellent condition, sometimes even brand new, and we would love to resell them.

“At the same time, I wanted to create my own project. That’s when I came up with the idea of AION, to answer this demand and make second-hand fashion easier in Cyprus.”

Although general marketplaces such as Bazaraki and Facebook Marketplace are widely used in Cyprus, Aaya believed they never really had fashion in mind. “I personally would never think of using those platforms to buy or sell clothes, and when I spoke to people around me, they shared the same opinion,” she says.

She also explored international resale platforms but found they came with a major drawback, one many are familiar with – shipping costs. She also spent time selling at flea markets and vintage bazaars, experiences that helped shape her idea.

“I noticed that many people enjoy searching for unique, vintage or affordable fashion pieces,” she says. “While the human interaction is enjoyable, selling at these events requires paying for a stand, spending hours loading and unloading your car, setting up your stall and dedicating an entire day to selling.

“Why not offer the same experience from anywhere, directly on your phone?”

A local alternative to international platforms

Comparisons with Vinted are inevitable, but Aaya says AION was never intended to be a copy of the UK and European favourite. “We made the choice to give Cyprus this opportunity and create a service that was missing locally.”

While Vinted connects millions of users across Europe, AION focuses on a much smaller community where local delivery, accessible customer support and close contact with users are supported.

“As a local platform, we are much more available to our users,” Aaya says. “They can easily contact the AION team, ask questions, share feedback and receive personalised assistance when needed.”

AION officially launched at the end of May and, although still in its infancy, the platform has attracted registered users, active sellers and live listings. Women’s fashion currently dominates the marketplace, but Aaya says the response has been encouraging. “We have received a lot of positive feedback since the launch because people were really waiting for this type of platform,” she says.

She also believes attitudes towards second hand fashion are gradually changing on the island, with people are becoming more aware of environmental issues and the importance of more sustainable consumption. “I also think the increasing number of international residents, who already have a strong second-hand culture, is influencing the island and helping to change perceptions around preloved fashion.”

Building trust into second-hand shopping

The platform includes an eight per cent buyer protection fee, moderation of listings and identity verification for sellers before funds can be withdrawn. “We did not want to introduce a fee that was too high, as that was never our goal,” she says. “We wanted to keep the platform accessible and attractive for users while still covering transaction costs and potential compensation fees when necessary.”

Looking ahead, she hopes to introduce verified user badges and authentication services for luxury items. For Aaya, the business is also about changing the way people think about clothing.

“Sustainability is one of the key values behind AION,” she says. “The fashion industry has a significant environmental impact, and we believe that extending the life of clothing is one of the simplest ways to encourage more responsible consumption.

“Every item resold represents one less item being discarded and one more opportunity to reduce unnecessary waste.”

Building a business from scratch

AION remains entirely self-funded and Aaya says building it from scratch has been both the biggest challenge and her proudest achievement. “My biggest challenge was creating something I had never done before, in a country that was not my own, but that has now become my home,” she says.

“Building a company, understanding a new market and creating a platform from scratch in a different environment has been challenging, but also an incredible learning experience.”

The reward has been seeing the idea become reality.

“Our main priorities for the next 12 months are to continue growing our community, increase the number of listings available on the platform and build stronger relationships with our users,” she says. “We also want to continue improving the app based on user feedback, introduce new features and AI powered tools, and develop more collaborations.”

And in five years?

“I hope to see AION become the leading preloved fashion marketplace in Cyprus, with a strong and active community of buyers and sellers,” she says. “I hope AION will be recognised as a local success story, a platform created in Cyprus, for Cyprus, that has made a real impact on the way people buy and sell fashion.”

AION is available at the Play store