The Phryges: how are the Paris 2024 mascots made?

With 50 days to go until Paris 2024, the Phryges are getting ready!

The Olympic and Paralympic mascots are already on sale with limited editions of the Phryges on sale soon.

Made in the historic Doudou et Compagnie factory based in Guerche-en-Bretagne, France, this Brittany-based company is eagerly anticipating the start of the Games and are busy producing over 1,000 mascots every day.

And it shows.

Everything in the factory is red: from the rolls of fabric on sewing machines to pieces of fabric ready to be cut, not to mention the contents of boxes waiting to be shipped, the colours of the Paris 2024 mascots are present at every turn.

"We are entering the final phase of the manufacturing process of the mascots," said Déborah Vital, operational managing director of Doudou et Compagnie. "It started in early 2023 and there are mascots everywhere!"

By the time the Olympic Games Paris 2024 gets underway on 26 July, this factory will have produced around 500,000 mascots for the thousands of athletes and visitors who will arrive in France this summer.

Mascot-making 'is an Olympic sport in itself'

“It is a once in a lifetime opportunity, a dream come true”, says Alain Joly, president and founder of Doudou et Compagnie. “It's a great source of pride for the group and it's unprecedented challenge to produce this mascot 100 per cent made in France.”

For Joly, making the mascot is like an athlete preparing for competition, which is natural considering how important the challenge is for his company.

It takes 35 people up to an hour to make the Phryges. There are nine stages involved with forty pieces of fabric cut to create this "little baby".

“We have a production line to make this beautiful item [but] it is more than a plush toy. It is a mascot," adds Vital. "For the athletes, spectators and partners, it is something unique."

The manufacturing process requires constant attention to detail with precise handiwork needed for the "super soft material" to be crafted into shape.

At the beginning of the process, 48 punches are used to cut all the pieces of fabric with a dedicated team assembling the pieces together while the logo of Paris 2024 is embroidered.

The Phryges are first sewn inside out and then inverted. They are stuffed, closed, brushed and quality-checked before being carefully wrapped.

Similar to the preparation for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, every detail matters.

"I check to see if there are any holes, if the seams are well done, there are no loose threads. I brush them to hide seams and make it beautiful. It's like our own Olympic Games. We love it," explains Jessica, who works in the factory.

The making of the mascot goes beyond Paris 2024

Doudou et Compagnie began their Olympic journey three years ago when they responded to a call for tenders to produce the mascots locally. While the general public had not yet discovered the Phryges, secret meetings were held to find out how to make them.

Vital remembers the excitement of producing the mascots and the various people she has met along the way.

"It's emotional to open the doors to our workshops to schools. I have goosebumps when I think about it. It's great because it's a way to show children that through the mascot, there is expertise and craft. Children, as well as teenagers are impressed. There is an educational aspect that I hope will make some of them want to do the same thing later."

At the Olympic and Paralympic Games, legacy is as important as victories, and this is also true in the production of the Phryges.

In Guerche-en-Bretagne, the soft toy specialists have expanded its factory and trained new employees to meet the needs of the Phryges and beyond. The adventure will continue far beyond this summer as it is hoped Paris 2024 will accelerate the reindustrialisation of France and inject new life into the soft toy industry.

This challenge, which consists of making high-quality products in large quantities, my open the door for other projects post-Paris 2024. Some will notably benefit from the innovations implemented for the mascot of the Games, such as the reuse of patented memory foam.

But for now, these large-scale plans can wait. The Doudou et Compagnie factory is filled with hundreds of boxes to be shipped.