Eyestylist

Alexis Perron-Corriveau and Mika Matikainen, Founders, Paloceras

The emerging eyewear house, Paloceras is quietly establishing itself on the global fashion map. This month, the brand marks a significant milestone with a launch in New York, unveiling two new silhouettes in its acclaimed Pebble collection, alongside a striking palette of new colours and combinations across the entire range. Eyestylist spoke with founders Mika Matikainen and Alexis Perron-Corriveau about their creative partnership, the brand’s origins, and the pursuit of innovation that drives their distinctive take on eyewear design.

What were you working on before starting Paloceras? Alexis: I grew up in Montreal and began my career as a woodworker, creating bespoke furniture and architectural pieces. That hands-on experience led me to pursue product design at university in Montreal. After working locally, I felt the need to look beyond Canada and applied to ECAL in Lausanne to study in the Master’s program in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship. That’s where I met Mika. We both completed the program, and from there, Paloceras began to take shape.

Mika: My background is in digital design. I had been working as an art director at an advertising agency in Finland, and later with tech companies, mostly in digital product design. After years of working in digital environments, I started longing for something more physical. While living in London during a COVID lockdown, I took a walk with a designer friend and we spoke possible futures and a Swiss design school ECAL came up. I applied, was accepted, and that decision shifted everything. Alexis and I met there. I was coming from digital, seeking tactility, while he was coming from craft, interested in digital. Our skills were complementary, and we felt it made sense to try something together, though we had no fixed idea of what that would be. Toward the end of the programme, Alexis began exploring sunglasses in his thesis. We started prototyping and eventually committed to making eyewear. We had no idea how complex the field would turn out to be.  Above: Alexis Perron-Corriveau, Design Director (left) and Mika Matikainen, Creative Director (right), Paloceras – photo by Anderson Martinez

Paloceras: from the Pebble Collection, Pistachio Green SX

How did you come up with the name Paloceras and begin to build the brand? Mika: Once we decided to do something together, we needed a name. I was still living in Switzerland at the time and one day, while walking through a park, I saw butterflies. I started thinking about the Latin word for butterfly, Rhopalocera. I removed the “Rho,” added an “s,” and checked availability. To our surprise, everything was free – domains, handles, all of it. I called Alexis immediately.

Alexis: We met at a small African café in Lausanne and decided that was it. We registered the name right there. That was even before we had thought of the Pebble collection.

How long did it take to develop the inflated acetate aesthetic, and where are the frames made? Alexis: It was a long journey. We set out to make something that felt unfamiliar in a category where most designs seemed too similar. While we are not claiming to reinvent eyewear, we wanted to create shapes that would be immediately recognisable as Paloceras. We experimented with acetate and used physics software and digital tools to explore unconventional forms. That led us to inflated shapes.

We reached out to manufacturers in Italy and France, both close to our base in Portugal, but the technology to produce the shapes we wanted was not available. Eventually, I travelled to Shenzhen, where we found a small, highly skilled team with the right capabilities. Their process uses a moulded approach closer to injection moulding, specifically adapted for acetate. At the time, this technique wasn’t available in Europe, and even now, it’s far from common. The real expertise still lives in Shenzhen, so we had to go straight to the source.

Is there a level of innovation in the production techniques themselves? Alexis: Absolutely. The moulding process requires different machinery and skills compared to traditional acetate manufacturing. This combination of design intent and technical execution is what allows us to push boundaries. I have visited the team in Shenzhen several times. It was important for us to see the production first-hand, to understand the working conditions and ensure they met our standards. We are transparent about our partnership there because the work is excellent and the collaboration is strong.

Paloceras: Pebble collection – Lilac Dream SX

The Pebble collection quickly gained attention in fashion circles. Was that the goal from the beginning? Mika: We wanted to approach eyewear as a functional object with emotional and aesthetic impact. The category often views itself through a technical or optical lens. We wanted to see what would happen if we looked at it through fashion.

Alexis: It began as a creative experiment, but always with the ambition to connect with people. My Master’s thesis focused on sunglasses and their cultural significance. What I realised was that the eyewear world is full of gatekeepers. There are few independents, and it is a difficult industry to break into. That challenge pushed us further.

Mika: I have always been interested in the point where design, technology and business meet. For me, staying in one of those domains would not have been enough. With eyewear, it was not just about designing something new. It was about building something with a broader creative ecosystem. We now collaborate with artists, especially through our London atelier, where we craft bespoke designs. These partnerships allow other creative visions to exist within Paloceras, which makes the brand more than a product, so it becomes a platform.

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Bespoke eyewear created with Pauline Pierre / London atelier

You recently introduced two new shapes: VX Aviator and DX Diamond. What led to these designs? Mika: The collection started with one square and one round shape. That was never going to be enough. Aviators and cat-eyes are popular, but we wanted to reimagine them through our own language.

Alexis: There is a delicate balance between making a sculpture and making something wearable. That tension drives us. The Aviator is bold and recognisable. The Diamond has an angular, edgier character. It nods to the cat-eye but is more neutral. We want our pieces to be for everyone, so we avoided a fully feminine silhouette. These new shapes also respond to what people have been asking for – more variety, new forms, and more colour.

Mika: Colour has been a big part of our evolution this year. Beyond classics like black and tortoise, we are introducing dual laminations and full tones based on our own experiments. Some are made using Mazzucchelli’s custom laminates, others we developed ourselves by combining different magnetic colours. It is a big leap forward for the Pebble collection.

You are based between Portugal and Finland. How does that structure work for you? Mika: Most of our team is in Finland now. Alexis is still based in Lisbon, where we do the biggest part of our prototyping and have the design studio.

Alexis: Portugal was the original home of the brand. For the first year, everything was developed there digitally. When Mika returned to Finland for family reasons, we adapted and found a rhythm that works for us both.

Paloceras, Pebble Collection – Enchanted Sage DX

What are you working on next?  Mika: We are preparing to unveil our first optical collection.

Alexis: Development is already under way. We plan to present the collection in September at Silmo in Paris. Having an optical line is important for our retail partners. These new pieces are designed for everyday wear, while keeping the same creative ethos as our sunglasses.

Paloceras sunglasses are available at Paloceras.com and select opticians worldwide, including Black Optical, Atelier Mira, Gogosha Optique, I Visionari and Framed Ewe. The brand will be present at Silmo Paris in September 2025. Find out more about the collection at the Eyestylist link here https://www.eyestylist.com/2025/05/paloceras-pebble-collection-ss25/ and visit www.paloceras.com

Interview by Clodagh Norton. All rights reserved.

Key Spring/Summer 2025 Trends: lightweight metals

Lightweight metal frames with contemporary flair are one of the mainstays in eyewear this year. The sleeker constructions with particular details and innovative colours are perfect style choices for a summer re-fresh…

Metal specs tick lots of boxes this season. As well as key qualities of comfort and lightness, subtle colours and interesting design features are ensuring these types of glasses are perfectly on trend.  Colour is a particular highlight as designers explore special combinations such as tone-on-tone pairings as well as more classical gold and silver detailing (the finesse of luxury metal finishes is sought after this year). For shapes, the choice is extremely wide, with aviator styles and shapes exploring angular detailing being particularly sought after – while details, for bridges and temples, are absolutely essential for a perfectly stylish finish to the frame.  Above: the new models by Ahlem – in the Paris collection, a luxury metal series that uses stainless steel and luxury finishes such as 22K gold and palladium, www.ahlemeyewear.com

Drexel by Erker’s 1879

Sleek metal aviator designs are always in vogue and this year they are popular for men and women alike. The Drexel model by Erker’s is a take on the iconic aviator shape, produced in stainless steel. The frame is quite oversized with a squarish eye shape and attractive and sleek double bridge.  Find out more at www.erkers1879.com

JF3072 by J.F. Rey – from the Allure of Metal collection

The woman’s frame JF3072 is from the French label J.F. Rey. The finnesse of the metal shape fuses with a bright colour combination to create an expressive design with bags of personality.

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Each design in this collection, Allure of Metal, which includes 11 colourful graphic metal models, combines two or three shades, carefully juxtaposed and hand applied. This creates a bold chromatic effect, a typical trait of this brand. For more details: www.jfrey.fr

Powerage by Ørgreen Optics

Titanium is also a key material in this segment. A sheet titanium frame style like Powerage – produced by Ørgreen Optics – is highly technical – requiring 100 different processes and specialist design work. The frame combines 100% pure titanium and beta-titanium for wearer comfort and offers a minimalistic style with chic contemporary colourations. www.orgreenoptics.com

Point Reyes by Italian eyewear producer, Blackfin

Blackfin Pacific is a collection developed for the qualities of lightness and comfort, with styles like the Point Reyes created from 3mm block titanium – for the front, paired with ultraflexible 0.5mm beta titanium temples. Blackfin applies the colour by hand, to attain a sophisticated and elegant finish.  This frame comes in a choice of colours from green with gold temples to blue with shiny silver temples. www.blackfin.eu

Remus by YOU MAWO

3D printed style by the German innovators, perfecting the art of high-end 3D printed customisation

Custom-made 3D printed eyewear has taken on real momentum as the sleek, high-quality collections – consistent in build, design aesthetics, functionality and fit – are recognised for the incredible versatility and comfort of the products on offer, as well as the wearability and timeless elegance of the best frames in the category.

At YOU MAWO, specialists in high-end  3D printed frames, all focus has been placed on meeting the exact specifications of the wearer through customisation and detailed facial scans. This allows an accurate fit through incredibly precise measurements, then adding the individual choices in terms of colour, shape and finish to create a frame that is completely unique for the individual’s needs. YOU MAWO has devised different looks through different collections. Their Air Collection, featuring new additions – among them model Remus – is known for its lightweight, attractive designs with a minimalist approach, and is just one of several lines developed with different details and characteristics.  Above: Remus by YOU MAWO

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Remus in the Air Collection by YOU MAWO

Remus by YOU MAWO is characterised by a sleek design with an understated essential look that is practical and comfortable to wear for any occasion. The frame can be created for the wearer in one of YOU MAWO’s wide range of colourways: the tones are subtle and refined, with shades that range from grey, bordeaux and walnut to lighter varieties of raspberry and slate green. For more information visit www.youmawo.com

The Lens of Time, Venice

A new exhibition in Venice, produced and sponsored by ANFAO, explores the history of Italian eyewear

Celebrating the story of eyewear, through art, design and innovation, the new exhibition, ‘The Lens of Time’ explores the history of spectacles and sunglasses in Italy, from the Middle Ages to the present day, with more than 150 original pieces and related materials on display. Curated by Fondazione Museo dell’Occhiale, in collaboration with Fondazione di Venezia and Fondazione M9 – Museo del ’900, the eyewear displayed has been sourced from three distinguished Italian collections – the Eyewear Museum of Pieve di Cadore, that of the Vascellari Family, and the Arte del Vedere Collection by Lucio Stramare. Above: ‘The Lens of Time’ at Palazzo Flangini in Venice

The Lens of Time: archive materials from iconic campaigns by Safilo, Persol, LOZZA and other heritage brands

The exhibition also features a virtual tour of the famous eyewear museum in Pieve di Cadore and an interactive kiosk entitled “Timeless Frames” which allows visitors to experience a virtual try-on of some of the historic spectacles and sunglasses on display and share the images. Among art works featured are two contemporary works by the artist, Maurizio Paccagnella. The first, Trasparenze, is a sculptural piece that draws inspiration from the Cadore mountains – the heart of Italy’s eyewear production – and from the beauty of Murano and Venetian glass, in tribute to the lenses of the earliest spectacles. This installation was crafted using recycled acetate. The second, Sguardo nel Tempo, is described as “capturing the essence of looking through time”. Its undulating surface is a a nod to the Venetian lagoon – “reflecting the countless gazes of those who have worn glasses throughout history, weaving together the story of humanity with that of eyewear”. Below: The iconic Peggy sunglasses – Safilo, Italy – 1990 – Peggy Guggenheim originally commissioned her friend Edward Melcarth to design the oversized butterfly shape, https://www.eyestylist.com/2014/09/eyewear-and-an-avant-garde-art-collector/

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Zero sunglasses, Zagato, Cadore, Italy / 1978 – a piece of fashion history

Curated by architect Daniela Zambelli, Director of Fondazione Museo dell’Occhiale, and art historian Alessandra Cusinato, ‘The Lens of Time’ is part of the official programme for the National Made in Italy Day, sponsored by the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, and is also included on the calendar of the 2025 Venezia Architecture Biennale.

‘The Lens of Time’ is open to the public (11am to 5pm) until 30th July 2025 at Palazzo Flangini – Cannaregio, Calle Flangini 252 – Venice. For more information: www.anfao.it

SALT. Optics: classic sunglasses for the season

Collection II 2025 at SALT. : timeless design, modern precision

SALT. Optics explores 80s-inspired glamour and classic lines in new models Virginia and Turner, two of the brand’s latest sunglass styles offering understated timeless shapes and beautiful finishes. Produced in Japan, the designs are the result of a meticulous attention to quality and comfort, and feature particular details including subtle hardware and high-quality polarised lenses. Above: the latest models from SALT. Optics, Virginia and Turner

SALT. Optics – the Virginia sunglasses

Virginia features an oversized cat-eye shape – a very flattering design – and comes in nature-inspired tones of rose fog, antique leaves, black and Evergreen. The model is 100% produced in Japan in Japanese acetate which has a high luster.

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SALT. Optics – Turner: a classic style for men – in “antique leaves”

For men, the Turner sunglasses blend nostalgia and innovation. The design includes rivet hinges, Japanese componentry, and like the Nevada, the frame is 100% made in Japan.

SALT. Optics’ new campaign was shot on location at Hotel Les Cabanettes in the Camargue in the South of France. The hotel was designed by the artist Armand Pellier and provides a secluded architectural backdrop for the new SALT. imagery. For more details about the lates styles in the SALT. Optics collection, visit www.saltoptics.com