After graduating in Fine Arts, I took up illustrating and decorating for children.

One day, as I was painting a fresco in a children’s hospital, a little fellow who had been there for a while asked me if he could take home one of the characters. I could hardly break the wall to give him a piece! So I made a drawing for him. He was delighted to take home one of the friends who had helped him through his stay in hospital. I was moved by this request, but not satisfied with the solution, something was missing to make the character ever more comforting.

This thought stayed with me for a long time until one day I imagined making a soft toy. It was a warm and cuddly way of bringing my characters to life.

Today, a few years on, the ever expanding world of the GUGUS is a thriving ecosystem with a poetical touch.

They are a gregarious bunch and love caring for each other and for their land. Large, small, fat, potato-shaped, mischievous, skilled or clumsy, they come in all shapes and personalities, but all love each other for their differences.

My workshop is based in rural Burgundy (France), a few kilometres from Vézelay. The unspoilt landscapes, country walks, my vegetable garden and the cycle of the seasons are for me as much a lifestyle as a source of inspiration for a human sized craft trade.

The GUGUS are entirely hand made. I attach a lot of importance to the choice of materials and use only soft, comfortable top-quality wools and synthetic furs. I am proud of the quality of the soft toys I make.

Our collection is gradually expanding with new characters and new lands to discover...

Thank you for taking the time to read these few lines and I hope to hear from you soon.

Fanny.