Hello!
Hello! Μy name is Marian Charalampidou and my workshop in Athens
is where I create the colorful world of Antalou!
Ever since I was a young girl I enjoyed drawing, traveling with my imagination,
creating things with my hands and experimenting with materials.
I studied graphic design, later I got into puppet theater,
I’ve always loved comic books... and then everything I loved formed
into one concept, thus Antalou soft toys where born!
I created the first soft toy in 2010, as a gift for a friend. After that one, more followed and they were all... in a whole other place* (*allou antalou in greek)!
A cuddly kitten, a stubborn donkey or a lazy-eyed alien...
a sketch, scissors, a thread, a look, a smile... and since then the company grows!
The process during which a sketch escapes from the paper, acquires a texture, volume and then its own life, through any small or big child that will come to own it, is for me a bit of magic!
At first, the entire workshop fit in a suitcase that opened in a different place each time. Now it has found its place in the house. So, I have my loyal assistants by my side… Giannis, with his invaluable help in whatever I need, our little girl, an expert in endurance tests and tight hugs, our big boy who plays with them for endless hours… In a way, antalou is now a family affair!
I am always very happy when one of my creatures finds its new home
and even more so when you share with me your experiences
and adventures with your beloved antalou!
This fills me up and makes me want to keep going, with more vigor!
