Men and Their Glasses

Fabian Hofmann, Eyewear Designer, Berlin, Germany

23rd February 2012 “When I look at the anatomical side in designing men’s eyewear, men tend to have wide nose bridges. I’ve given up labelling a style purely male or female; maybe it’s the no-frills approach that I prefer. I think of design in terms of a process, a story that I tell. The actual shapes are a consequence of that thinking. I would definitely say that men are more aware of brands, quality and fashion. Wouldn’t you agree that men are even more interested in vintage than women? Men looked fabulous in the fifties and sixties. Who doesn’t want to look like Steve McQueen nowadays? It may sound banal, but difficult times tend to bend our view towards the past, and that’s where vintage comes from. We are made to believe that originals from the past, or even just the lifestyle of a certain past era, stand for stability and safeness.

 

Amagansett by Fabian Hofmann for Whiteout & Glare

Yes, men are definitely more daring with colour now. I live in Berlin and one thing I observe is that men here tend to go for solid colours, not garish ‘in your face fashion show colour blockings’. I don’t have a favourite men’s clothing designer – most of my pieces are pretty nondescript or plain classic. Good quality tends to have a longer life span. Good design always have a portion of the unexpected – but it has the advantage to interest people. that is a risk a designer must take every time he starts a new project.” www.whiteout-glare.com  JG

Photo of Fabian Hofmann by Gilles Stüssi