The world of Ørgreen Optics
1st June 2012 Henrik Ørgreen is one of the most enthusiastic designers I have come across in the world of eyewear. When I first met him in 2001 – the company was just 4 years old – he was as committed as anyone could be to create something different and fresh – and definitely provocative – in eyewear design. Today, celebrating 15 years, Ørgreen Optics has become one of the leading innovators in creative spectacle and sunglass design.
“Since we started, the company has gradually grown up, matured if you like. Today, we pride ourselves on our design and the finish and quality….but we still retain our original hunger for new designs, innovation, colour concepts and colour and material combinations. We have become more professional, but we still have the edge and attitude from when we started.”
The design team today includes Henrik, Tobias Wandrup the chief designer, as well as Gregers Fastrup, sales director and joint owner, Olivia, assistant designer, and Sahra Lysell, a specialist in colour.
Asked to describe some of the traits of the S/S 12 collections Henrik explains: “This year we have focused on many details in the collections. We have new features like different hinges, and new colour, and we always like to keep ahead of the market in this area, it is definitely one of our unique characteristics. A lot of the designs are fashion focused…we are always looking at interesting ways to interpret fashion trends in titanium, which is our favourite material. Ørgreen is very good at making eyewear that is visible, and that is a strong message in the collections in this, our 15th year. Then, coming up we have a few new lines to celebrate our Anniversary, you will see we have played with new materials…and, very exciting, we have a remake of our first original sunglass.”
Is Ørgreen for all personalities? “I believe people who wear Ørgreen are well educated, they like design and colours in fashion, they will be very appreciative of the quality of the finish too. I still also believe that it depends on what the optician recommends, though; there are plenty of people who will appreciate our frames without having a great awareness of what it actually is, and the work that has gone in to it.”
Is comfort important? “I do not believe in designing a frame that does not feel comfortable and I suppose when I first started designing I was concentrating more on the frame looking good. Today comfort is an area we are always working on.
Are your Danish roots significant? “Yes of course. The Danish design tradition advocates simplicity and where we are working with technical elements our instinct is to hide it or make it invisible. This is different in other design disciplines in other countries where technical features are visible. We are very proud to be part of the Danish design tradition, and there has been a great deal of focus on Copenhagen in the last years which is fantastic. But we are also accustomed to look outside our own country and heritage, and I think this is important for the recognition of our brand beyond home. I am very influenced by industrial design trends in other countries like Italy and Japan.”
What are your favourite things about working with eyewear? “Seeing the creation of a design…this is what I live and breathe for. I am always anticipating what people will like about it. We’re doing this, at the end of the day, to make people happy.
A suggestion for buying spectacles? “Always find a frame that fits your face. So often I see people wearing frames that do not fit. So look at the frames, try them on, make sure they are not too wide or too high, and not too angled…and make sure you try different materials. Never be afraid to change and try a new direction, which is often easy, if you make sure you are with someone in the shop who can offer some good guidance and ideas of what works for you.” CN
