She may be only 20 years old, but she has managed to get the whole modeling world talking about her. The reason is Anthi Fakidari, who has now passed the gate of the top models, since she managed to star in fashion shows of Chanel and Ferrari.

A girl with classic Greek beauty and movement that would be the envy of famous models on the catwalk, she follows the path of other great Greek women such as Elena Kountoura, Vicky Koulianou and Vicky Kagia, at a time when the competition in the beauty and fashion industry may be greater than ever.

She claims that her path was opened completely by accident when her father, who works as a cameraman at Alpha, took her with him one day at work. “I was seen by Vassilis Bouloubasis, the well-known hair stylist, and he told me that I have the qualifications to go into fashion. To be honest, it wasn’t something I had thought about until then. He even gave me the number of an agency. I got in touch after a while. That agency is D Models Agency of Sophia Daichristou, who is my agent to this day.” This is how her young, only two years old to date, career in the catwalks began, with the future at this moment looking promising.

Through her agency, Anthi managed to quickly sign contracts in Milan and Paris and began to enjoy the demand for her from foreign houses, but she could not have imagined what would follow, culminating in her selection by the most selective fashion house, Chanel, for the Paris Fashion Week, which is considered the greatest moment of her career so far.

Something she admits: ‘Let’s not kid ourselves, a catwalk with Chanel is every model’s dream. We are talking about an iconic house, a legendary brand with a long history. Perfection prevails because the bar is high. All the models know that in such shows everything is impeccable, absolutely professional and works to perfection. With Chanel I lived the dream. At the fitting we were hundreds of girls. When I was fitting the clothes, the designer and stylist smiled with satisfaction, nodding to each other, so I knew I had got the job,” she says.

Anthi Fakidari was born and raised in Peristeri. Her father is originally from Crete, while her mother is from Trikala, the place where she mostly went in the summers and lived her most tender years. “We spent all our summers in Servota. Rides, games, carefree. Most of the day we were out in the neighborhoods having fun.

We had to go home at night to sleep”, she will say nostalgically, about memories that seem many years away but she is only 20 years old.

“I used to love having a schedule in my life. Coming from a track and field background, I did high jump. A champion without a strict program has no future. Waking up in the morning, training, resting, everything happened at a certain time. Modeling is something completely different. Today you’re here and with a phone call you can be in another country. I’ve happened to say “I have the afternoon off this afternoon” and within an hour I have to fly to Milan. Going through the sports world has made me disciplined and a fighter. I learned to challenge and fight in order to be the best. Being a champion is not an occupation, it is a way of life,” she says.

A particularly interesting fact is that in her everyday life she prefers to dress casually with some… branded accessories to stand out. “An expensive handbag or a branded pair of shoes always makes a difference. I really like mix & mach, the combination of the expensive with the more affordable is not only a trend, it also creates a very impressive aesthetic effect. I started earning money and I can now afford to buy one of those handbags that every woman dreams of.”

As for the secret of success? Believing in yourself: “Only by believing in yourself can you succeed. In modelling, for example, if looks are 50% of success, the other 50% – and perhaps more decisive – is the confidence you exude.”