(Photo by: Antakh)
Antakh in colloquial Arabic means to laze about. When you tell someone you are in an antakha kind of mood, you mean that you want to be a couch potato for the day. There are many derivatives, antookh (the one who lazes about), me’antakh (he who is lazing about), and so on. It is a culture, a way of thinking and it has a huge following. Every Egyptian tends to be an antookh at some point of the week, usually during the weekend. So, when a beanbag company dubbed itself Antakh, it seemed appropriate.
We contacted Hebba Sabaa, marketing account executive, for more information.
“We started out with a company named Motivation that launched in 2009, with a product called skinzo (laptop cases). In 2010, the company changed in two ways; firstly, to make 100% Egyptian products, and secondly, to provide high quality marketing and event management services. This is when Antakh started to evolve as an idea. The concept was to go above and beyond with beanbags and into alternative furniture, so that people could furnish their properties in a hip, comfortable and affordable way. We started out by out-sourcing the production of our very first Antakh Chair and things went in to motion,” explained Sabaa.
We asked Sabaa about the people behind the project. “Omar Sabaa and Islam Salah are managing partners, Ahmed Ismail is a former managing partner, Amr Salah is the production manager, then there’s me. Each one of us has played a key role in making Antakh come to life, our continuous efforts and support ensure the sustainability and growth of Antakh,” said Sabaa
One of the perks of Antakh is that the products are Egyptian, so you are supporting local industry and a local concept. “Antakh is fully produced in Egypt, and over 90% of the material we use is Egyptian, all of which we buy from local suppliers. Antakh uses a wide range of fabrics; waterproof, leather, suede, linen and printed fabrics from suppliers including PrintShop and Gobleins Mardini.”
The products are customised to the customer’s specification. “Each Antakh beanbag is specially designed based on the customer’s requirements; we begin with the customer selecting the fabric, colour, and shape. The order then takes its place in the production cycle. It usually takes a maximum of 7-10 working days to complete an order. Some customers request to have different dimensions for certain beanbags or might even request a specially designed beanbag,” said Sabaa.
So, next time you decide to take your antakha lifestyle to another level, consider the lazing about possibilities granted by a customised beanbag.
