Designer of the Month

Eyewear Ingenuity from Res/Rei

1st May 2013 On several occasions, I’ve been fortunate to have long chats with Italian designer Oliviero Zanon, who is an engaging conversationalist. He’s well versed on many subjects, and of course, one of his favourite topics is Res/Rei, the specialist eyewear design company he co-founded in 2011. Zanon shares with Eyestylist the background that led to the creation of Res/Rei.

“I went to university in London at Central Saint Martin College of Art and Design. I did a Foundation degree in Art and Design, and then a Products Design degree, graduating with first class honours. Central Saint Martin, in many ways, is different from any other University out there. Its uniqueness is in the “hands on” approach with things. The students are asked to do the whole design process, from research/idea to prototyping/manufacturing implementation. Getting your hands dirty building things in the workshop is an inspiring experience. After university, I started working as an industrial designer in London where I lived until 2010. I worked for IDEO London and Munich, an American consultancy that focus on Human Centered Design. This was a meaningful experience.”

Lucio – Limited Edition by Res/Rei

“My encounter with the optic business was definitely by chance. The reason that led to the creation of Res/Rei is the will to work at close contact with artisans and producers. At one point in my design career, I was consulting mainly with blue chip clients, huge companies with thousands of employees. I couldn’t relate any more to the design process; it was too impersonal. I wanted a more human experience, and making frames was the answer. In this business you can control the whole process and interact with all the people involved – from manufacturers to final clients. It’s work but it feels like family…we are making so many new friends during our journey, and it is quite amazing.”

Teodosio by Oliviero Zanon for Res/Rei

Res/Rei started in 2011 – in the midst of economic uncertainty. Did the economy ever make you “think twice” before starting the company? “Of course, the current economic crisis makes things more difficult, but it also creates opportunities, especially for new companies like ourselves. I know, this sounds like a cliché, but it is actually quite true. We are building our brand around firm ethical principles – like the sustainability of the manufacturing. Hopefully, most of our customers share the same vision with us. This gives us the opportunity to build a long lasting relationship with them.”

What inspires your designs? “Part of the inspiration comes from talking to other people that have meaningful experiences to share, mostly outside the optics business. Speaking of which, I’ve just spent a very inspiring day at the Milan Furniture Fair.”

Do you have a “profile” of a particular customer when you design? “Not really. We are not interested in following the stream. We are slowly building our unique identity. Of course, it takes time and you need to do lots of design interaction to become proficient as a brand, but eventually we will get there. It’s a different story with colours and shapes. On this matter,there is a clear distinction between men and women.”

Res/Rei is creating frames in acetate, metal/acetate and titanium – are there any other materials you would like to use? “Right now, we are experimenting with a new material nobody has used so far. But I can’t tell more about this – it’s top secret!” Photo of Oliviero Zanon exclusively for Eyestylist.com by Gilles Stüssi www.resrei.com JG

Turin’s unique eyewear company

1st March 2013 Home to the Fiat and an important industrial centre in north west Italy, Turin is not normally associated with eyewear. But Giovanni Vitaloni’s company has grown from a family business producing automobile parts and accessories to an eyewear design company, recognised for its pioneering spirit in terms of innovation, materials and uniquely Italian infusion of style and technical achievement. Working with Irene Chinaglia (head designer, above, centre) and Valerio Fava (pictured above, left), Vitaloni (above, right) is also a representative of the board of Anfao, the Italian association for producers of frames and sunglasses.

Baricole, Turin

“Nico Design as a design company, has always been interested in product development and experimenting in colour, shapes, and materials. My family was manufacturing components originally so we used that experience in other sectors and applied it to eyewear; that is really how we began. I believe it is this direction that gave us a chance to create our own market in the frames’ business.

“For 10 years we have had our own showroom/store in Turin where all the collections are on display. It is like the heart of the two brands we have created, Vanni and Dérapage….we do special exhibitions here but it is also a place where our customers from the surrounding area can buy their frames direct from us.

“We have a design team in which I am involved, for the two labels. Personally I have developed my knowledge in terms of eyewear over the years, since I first started working with my dad. We opened our own factory in Belluno for metal frames and we had that for about 5 years, so I was able to learn a great deal about the production side.

“My aim has always been to have our own taste and identity – so we always start from a blank sheet of paper. Our process for developing the collections lasts in total about 9 months from start to finish. For example, we are developing our own colours with Mazzucchelli and in order to do that you need time.

Happy Days by Vanni

What’s new at Vanni? ” We are launching new collections for the Hydra and Happy Days lines in Milan this month. We are also launching a new surface treatment on a metal frame called Mock-rock – we have created a unique matching  “Vanni” nail varnish in the same colour as the frame which is given with the frame as a gift. It’s beautiful!

“Vanni was born in 1991  - it is a line that has, and continues to be, based on colour concepts but our aim is always to find a balance between creativity, originality and wearability. We work very hard on our own acetate colours and unique patterns in collaboration with Mazzuchelli – this requires true dedication. www.vanniocchiali.com

MoleCube / Derapage collection

“Our other brand  - Dérapage – is dedicated to frame innovation. The latest addition here is a special MoleCube hinge which is made in Italy in its entirety – this consists of three strips of steel held together by a square pivot. Their is no need for adjustments and no risk of it coming undone which makes it very, very practical and popular for those who want integrity in the design and true wearability.” www.derapage-eyewear.com CN

Optical Creativity in Australia

1st December 2012 The lively, joyous colours in frame collections by Jono Hennessy gives a clue to his location – Sydney Australia. Here in “down under” -with  kangaroos and koala bears, amazing surfing and natural splendours, and the dazzling Opera House, is where Hennessy and his lovely, vivacious wife Louise, create eyewear that is sold globally. The land and its history are all inspiration for eyewear designer Jono Hennessy – where outdoor pursuits and cultual dimensions merge comfortably. The latest version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s memorable “The Great Gatsby” (opening in spring 2013) was filmed in Australia. “My designs, inspirations, and philosophy include growing up in the surf culture of Australia, where Billabong, Mambo and Quiksilver were born,” says Hennessy “and we grew up with the same rebellious approach to what we liked, and what was exciting around us. There were no rules – no magazines or people telling us what was cool – or not. You just created things that you liked and reacted to.  I studied graphic design and marketing at the School of Visual Art in Sydney – when I started my business, I did exactly the opposite to everything I had been taught at school.

“For me an influence is what creates excitement, or love, or respect, or intellectual appreciation. An influence has to give you a feeling of butterflies in your stomach and a ‘wow, isn’t that clever,” or “doesn’t that look incredible’!” For eyewear, the influences come from the influences of fashion.So when architecture moves to wood and natural products, we know this will appear in fashion, as it has over the past two to three years. Or it can be an influence of the 1920′s. I saw a Bally 1920′s flying jacket in the window of a store the other day, and was excited by how clever it was, and it engendered the feeling of a First World War fighter pilot heading off on a terrible mission. I got butterflies looking at it. Maybe that is all a bit strange, but as a designer, the joy is in what you make from these influences, how well you make it, and how it feels.

Catseye colour and craftsmanship by Jono Hennessy

“I love acetate. I love its softness, and its strength to hold the lenses and metal hinges. I love the feel of acetate and the smell when it comes out of the polishing barrels. I love that we use the best polish in the world in the barrels. My joy is to fill the samples with metal files – these are long metal files with turned wooden handles. They are mainly used in wood working, but I use them to hand shape the acetate. I found these metal files in a country market in Tasmania. They were made by an expert craftsman who was so proud of his work. So my influences are fashion – when it results from other influences such as periods in time, like architecture and industrial design, and of course, my passion for Pop Art”. www.jonohennessy.com JG

Anne et Valentin

1st October 2012 Anne Valentin, the co-founder of Anne et Valentin in Toulouse, on frames, creativity and the beauty of colourful eyewear.

Explain how you first started. It just happened one day, from a desire to break with boredom….
 A first collection made as beginners, then another, then another,until beautiful objects appeared: great eyeglasses! For over fifteen years, we have been designing them, constantly renewing our shapes and colours. Convinced that uniform grey is nobody’s dream, and that this profession is a pleasure only if it is accompanied by some spirit with lots of heart. Today, our brand, Anne et Valentin is available throughout Europe, in the United States, Canada, Korea, Japan…in the most innovative boutiques of the world.

Ovide from Anne et Valentin

Do you design as a team? Caroline Dufour, Anne Valentin’s assistant, leads the design team. They have known each other for a very long time. Sitting at the same table, they think and imagine a concept to work with. Everyone is there to enrich an idea. It is this dialogue that creates our requirements. Working together on all projects. A mix of collective and individual work. We work with lots of ideas until the moment when the frame perfectly translates the intention of the initial project.

And your philosophy for eyewear design? To design frames suited to the personality of the wearer. We want to create a collection that is rich enough for everyone to feel free to express his or her personality. This idea always guides us.

Your label is seen by many inside the eyewear business as one of the creative innovators. Please comment. I believe this is because we are in harmony with our times, while providing a more timeless spirit.
Colour is one of your signature traits. How have you managed to take your own unique path with colour? What are your favourite colours for spectacles?

Colours allow the expression of a whole subtle, delicious language in which we can find that we do not know what to choose, and rather like everything. We give special attention to this language because it is made of light.

Your inspiration for your designs often comes from areas beyond fashion and fashion trends. Our inspiration comes from all the different elements of our culture, and from our constant searches and our wanderings. What puts us in motion is the need to discover.

Clash, from Anne et Valentin

You have your own store in Paris – please tell us about it. We wanted it to be nestled in a vibrant, eclectic neighbourhood where everyone likes to go and have a drink. It opened in 2001. We wanted it to be timeless; for that reason we chose materials with a soul. The floor is made from solid oak and so is the staircase, which welcomes you on the first floor with open arms. Almost all the furniture was designed and made by us in our workshops. It is a fresh and friendly place to buy our spectacles and sunglasses.

How do you connect with today’s customers and understand their needs? We are connected to life in general. We travel and and listen enough to observe and feel the trends.

Is it easy for a French boutique label to develop a design ethos that appeals to an international audience? Please comment. We are deeply attached to our culture, and our identity is strongly anchored in our philosophy; it is shown in our work and reveals a very determined aesthetic. We believe everybody dreams of things from far away places…

Explain how your new collections launching in Paris this week are focused, commenting on key colours, shapes and design elements. Our sunglasses are beautiful objects, defined by an impressive acetate structure, with a clean finish. We have featured an unexpected chromatic line; for example, we are using a very translucent lime green, outlined in black; an ochre with a pearly grey and, of course, the famous tortoiseshell associated with navy blue. The new titanium frames feature duplicate layers of colour which overlap and create a colour vibration. The sobriety of the colours underlines the elegance of these models.

Anne et Valentin, 4 Rue Ste Croix la Bretonnerie, Quartier Saint Gervais, 75004 Paris

www.annetvalentin.com

Artisan Excellence – Derome Brenner

1st August 2012 Xavier Derome bounds into the Blois train station, and the first thing I notice are his sunglasses — quietly distinctive, effortlessly luxurious and exuding confident quality. Blois is situated in the Loire Valley – that sumptuous region of France with its beautiful river and amazing chateaux. This area is Derome’s professional and personal territory – he was raised here, and many family members live here too – close to the historical, magical chateaux, and where Derome creates his own spell with beautifully crafted eyewear.

We drive by one of the most famous Chateau – Chambord – and as I’ve never been, Xavier graciously stops so we can have coffee in the garden, while admiring the extravagant architectural dream of King François 1. What inspires you, I ask Xavier? He looks up from his coffee and surveys the magnificence around him. “All of this,” he responds, gesturing to the beauty of the green forest, the open spaces, the superb chateau, the Loire River. “I was born in this region; it’s in my blood.”

Studying history at La Sorbonne didn’t really prepare Derome for the eyewear world. However, his father was involved in the production of frames, and this is where the seeds for his future career were sown. “What I really wanted to do was go live in Vietnam, to move away from France.” However, he believes in fate, and began to become interested in eyewear. “But I knew,” says Xavier, “that if I wanted to do this, it would be a long road to design eyewear, and I needed the skills. I learnt production at the ‘grass roots’ and the new technology. Eyewear production is still very special, and I developed a fondess for acetate, because with acetate, I could make jewellery too.”

Where it all happens – Derome Brenner production facilities

We move onto Derome’s production facilities in the small village of Bracieux, and Flo Flo, Xavier’s adorable little miniature dachshund, greets us with enthusiastic barking. When all ten employees of Derome Brenner are at work, the factory is a beehive of activity. “I love machines and all this fascinates me,” says Derome, “and these Italian machines are able to do many processes, which are all intricate.” Derome Brenner frames are acclaimed for their exceptional craftsmanship, and the distinctive multiple layering of acetate that gives the impression of volume, without ever being heavy. The acetate is polished in special tumblers filled with wood chips, and Xavier savours holding each piece in his hands to observe the polishing process. No detail is overlooked; as a result, quantities are very small. “We keep no stock, and many frames are made to order. Everything is finished by hand – there are over 60 different steps. Only hand finishing can produce superior quality,” notes Derome, “and this requires concentration and good eyes.”

Elegance in frames and jewellery by Derome Brenner

Xavier’s concentration, determination, creativity, passion and perseverance won him a SILMO d’OR in 2009, and his frames are sold worldwide. Recently, he lanched jewellery, which has met with great success. “I’ve carved a nice in the market,” says Derome, “and I have my own production plant; I can travel; I love my work; I love my job.” And eyewear fans across the globe love his beautiful frames. www.deromebrenner.com JG