HIS PROGRESS
Anastasios Politopoulos -known as “Soulis” throughout Patras- was born in Kalamata, where he began his brilliant professional career at the end of the 1950s, working in the largest store of the Messinian capital, the textile company “Koukoutsis”. There he met his paternal businessman Ilias Toxavidis, they became friends and in 1961 he settled in Patras, taking charge of the historic textile store of the brothers Ilias and Costas Toxavidis, on Maizonos Street.
But there he also made the acquaintance, which turned out to be decisive for his life, after he met and fell deeply in love with the charming seamstress Efrosyne Spanopoulou, with whom they fell in love and married in 1961. They succeeded in having two good children, well-known members of the local community: Nikos Politopoulos, for 39 years insurance agent coordinator of National Insurance and Eleni, cleaning crew manager.
In 1968, Soulis Politopoulos creates his own women’s clothing store in pl. Georgiou, in the apartment building of Anninos, right across from the Municipal Theater, where with his entrepreneurial spirit he thrives and pioneers: He sets up a craft workshop alongside the shop, thus giving the ladies the possibility, after buying the fabrics, to even sew the tayer or dress of their choice! His risky venture is crowned with great success and customers are queuing up!
Soulis Politopoulos, in the “Romeo” center of the capital, with the model of Loukia
1988: Having fun at “La Notte” in Patras, having at his table, the young and unknown at the time, George Mazonakis.
THE FASHION SHOWS
At the same time, he also starts doing fashion shows, with his own creations, at “Villy’s Park” and at the “Aster” hotel, in which well-known models of the time wore his airy toilets!
His fame goes beyond the borders of Patras and he soon finds himself dressing, in addition to demanding paternal ladies, the artistic world, the pentagram and the theater. Among them, Zozo Sapundzaki, the Broyer sisters, Dakis, Kostis Christou, Doukissa and other artistic stars of the time.
He was thus also connected with the quality night entertainment, as a regular patron in the legendary centers of the time!
In 1984, he closed his business and became the general representative for SW Greece, of the large clothing industry “Doumas SA” from Thessaloniki, while two years later, he became the Peloponnese representative of the Athenian industry “Giannakopoulos SA”.
He remained active professionally, until 2000, when he retired from the profession, but always maintaining the intense social interaction and having as his daily haunt the well-known cheese bakery “Dimopoulos” on Corinthou Street, shortly after Ermou. He would start his day by necessarily reading “Peloponnisos” and sharing dozens of “good mornings” and active smiles to dozens of friends and acquaintances passing by.
His funeral service and burial will take place today, Thursday (at 11:00 a.m.) at the 2nd Municipal Cemetery of Patras, at St. Mina.
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