Welcome to the Antou Studio blog!
Hey there, strong, stubborn, and stylish one!
Curious about what we have been up to behind the scenes? Well, we’re excited to share what’s on the horizon for Antou Studio, and we couldn’t be more grateful for your love and support.
When Antou Studio first launched in March of 2019, it was solely an online shop crafted to connect the designers we love and the beautiful pieces they made to the communities that live around us, of which we are a part of, and beyond. The response was beautiful and we knew there was a space for Antou Studio to exist.
Through the making and building of the Antou Studio platform, we got to make new meaningful friendships and connections back home in Côte d’Ivoire and other countries we possibly couldn’t have dreamt of. We met and connected with like-minded dreamers, doers and risk-takers, whose belief in our mission and vision truly inspired us to push our own boundaries.
However, by the end of 2019, we had lost traction and momentum. We knew it was time to go back to our original vision board and remind ourselves of our WHY…Why Antou Studio matters to us…Why now?
Intentionality and authenticity being two of our core values, we chose to go back to basics. And the basics are our unique stories.
Our stories of personal style and the experiences that have influenced them from our upbringing in Abidjan to shaping our own lives in the U.S. as first-generation immigrants.
Our wardrobe is a reflection of the love we have for each of the places we call home, and simultaneously honors the individuals we are now and are still becoming.
Although we have very different personalities and style penchant, we share a love for clothing that possess unique and timeless elements. Our personal styles are not driven by trends but we don’t mind them either. It’s about what feels personal, sometimes with doses of nostalgia, sometimes with a modern twist, but never without an ounce of cultural pride.
As sisters, we share clothes, and also shamelessly repeat clothes, because clothes are nice but financial security and freedom are even nicer. So we are intentional with our buying power. When we wear a designer, it is because we believe in and love their craft(wo)manship and what they’re about.
In the coming months, Antou Studio will continue to do just that in the form of a blog and a small shop. We will feature brands and designers we love and wear, from creatives who live on the African continent to those who made new homes in distant lands and have found a way to connect their art to their roots despite the distance.
We are truly excited about re-inventing Antou Studio into a format that feels most aligned with our initial vision, and cannot wait to take you along with us.
Thank you so much for reading and for joining our community!
~ Olivia & Laurinda
