Creative spirits

The CEO of Italy’s fast-growing independent titanium brand Blackfin, Nicola del Din, talked to Eyestylist about eyewear heritage and his passion for life outside optics. 

Tell us about you as a “creative”. Your training, biggest influences in terms of aesthetics/details/colours and your interests such as photography. I have a deep interest in technology, graphics and imagery. I have had this interest since I was at school. At that time, we didn’t have anything like the technological opportunities of today. But I was still very much into computers and I remember my first pcs…a Commodor 16, then the 64 and the Commodor Amiga which I used with a camera to make videos at school! I also love digital photography and the opportunities we have now to modify imagery via apps and special programs.

Music is also one of my great interests, particularly with the multimedia aspects: video represents the perfect synthesis of all my passions: IT, graphics and music, all in one! My work is to produce excellent eyewear and my passions can therefore become a function of my work. I couldn’t ask for more. I am very lucky for that – my job has become a life focus which I can develop and grow thanks to the contributions of many people around me.

Blackfin is a young fast-growing company. What is the ingredient that been most important in allowing it to develop so successfully? Incredibly, the crisis. At the time and through the 1990s we were reflecting on our future, and what we were wanting to achieve. We realised that technical capabilities were not enough and that is was essential to have a strong communications strategy for the brand. So we started again. We are like a start-up but we are 47 years old! It’s a contradiction in terms but that’s what has happened: we combined our experience in production with a new fresh enthusiasm to start out on a new adventure.

Blackfin has its own design team, but you are clearly a creative “driving force” when it comes to campaigns and marketing? Blackfin today is the ideal realisation of the potential I could see 10 years ago. And this vision is not just about the product, but rather a precise image and method of communication. The amazing thing is it just keeps running: my head is firmly looking forward into the future.

Tell us about your collaborations which are far from ordinary? Our collaborations can be out of the ordinary and unexpected. This is because we go beyond the product to find shared social, geographic, moral and cultural values. This is the case with Cipriani: what we have in common is the constant research dedicated to offering excellence in Italian products. Excellence understood as authentic luxury which, as Arrigo Cipriani reminds us, is the expression of a complex simplicity.

We found a similar synergy with Andrea Bocelli. Andrea is a great artist, and an Italian man of great integrity. Our collaboration with him and his Foundation represents sharing a vision towards Italian excellence and authenticity. (more…)

Timeless Danish design characterises the individualistic creations by FLEYE Copenhagen. Annette Esto shares with Eyestylist the heritage of the design driven collections.

Please tell us about the history of Fleye Copenhagen. “FLEYE was founded in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2002 by my two partners, Hanne Anderson and Lars Halstroem, and I. All three of us worked together in another company where we also designed eyewear: we did a lot of export and attended the same fairs as now. All the experience that we had, good and bad, was fundamental when we made our business plan for FLEYE. From day one, we asked ourselves: why should people buy frames from us? What can we offer that is different from what is already on the market? At the time other brands made very thin and invisible frames, so we decided to go in another direction, to be more expressive, more colourful and different, and customers loved if from the beginning. We wanted to have a red thread in all that we did: corporate colours, designed shipping boxes and a very high service level. We tried to do our very best, just like we do today.”

FLEYE designs are eco-friendly – could you please share with us the background on this concept? “All of our eyewear frames are allergy-friendly and made from nickel-free materials. As an optician I have seen many customers suffer from nickel, especially 25 years ago before the CE marking was mandatory. It makes sense to invest in the best material that does not contain any nickel.”

The frame colours are gorgeous – are you inspired by nature? fashion? travel? art? “Thank you. After I started to design frames, I looked at the world in a different way. My eyes always (without even focusing on it) search for details, patterns, colours, structure, and materials that I can use or be inspired by. When I travelled in India I visited the Taj Mahal early morning to study how the Marble Palace changed colours from sunrise to sunset. The patterns are not noticeable at first, but when light is striking them magic happens. I used the colours in its combination in our collection. The same happened in Marrakesh with all their grids in the buildings, and the lovely colours of the earth in the mountains outside the city. Shanghai by night at The Bund inspired me to use bright coloured temples together with black carbon fibre (the black Yangse River against the colourful skyscrapers). I am also inspired by trends in everything from subcultures, art and architecture to interior design and fashion.”

What materials are your favourite in which to create frames? “A tough question because it all appeals to me, especially when I can combine carbon with natural wood, and the flexibility in beta-titanium temples. I love warm and exciting colours and acetate patterns. I was wondering how to achieve that in a carbon frame, so we coloured our wooden surfaces in the most beautiful shades of Indigo Blue, Majestic Purple and Velvet Black.”

What is the customer profile of the FLEYE frame wearer? “FLEYE is for the urban, modern day consumer with a strong sense of design aesthetics, and a confident attitude of individual expression who appreciates wearing a frame that is light, comfortable and eco friendly. Style has nothing to do with age.”

This year marks the 15th anniversary of FLEYE. What are the most defining changes in eyewear that you have experienced during this time? “I see a shift from eyewear being a medical product to being an accessory. If you could not see, then you needed glasses. But now glasses are no longer focused primarily on function, but on fashion too. Eyewear is now seen as an expression of style, and just as important a statement as shoes, bags and jewellery.”

As a brand that sells globally, how do you foresee the market unfolding in the next two-three years? “In the future we will see much more competition of the low price segment vs. the high-end segment including innovation, brand concept and corporate identity. Design wise I think shapes will be more edgy in a geometric way.There will be space for niche and independent designs – it may be slim and simple styles, or bold and demanding.” www.fleye.dk JG

The Norwegian independent brand Karmoie derives its name from the Sanskrit word karma meaning “action” or “deed” and the French word joie for “joy”. With this stimulating philosophy, Kirsten and Lars created the company in 2013 with their concept of excellence, integrity and quality. Karmoie was awarded The Butterfly Mark by Positive Luxury, for the brand’s commitment to protect the planet’s resources. They share their perspective with Eyestylist.

Please tell us about how Karmoie was created. “We knew that we wanted to create a business that reflects our values and our personalities. Social commitment and creating a product that feels as good as it looks was at the core. The idea of doing that within the industry came to us as we were driving around in the South of France. It was one of those moments where everything just felt right. We knew we had a lot of research to do and an industry we knew nothing about to figure out, but we just had to go for it.”

Your designs are streamlined and pure – how do you develop your concepts? “We don’t really launch extensive new collections every season; rather we add on a couple of styles so our collection is always made up of both models from the first years and a few new releases. Whenever we develop a new model we make sure that it fits in with the rest of our frames, and that the colour palette remains cohesive.”

What inspires you – nature, architecture, colours – when you are creating frames? “We are inspired by everything that surrounds us. Our friends and family, their style and requests give us ideas. While fashion is always inspiring, the pace of fast fashion is so stressful, so we seek more towards architecture and interior design, as that feels more built to last. When it comes to colours, we believe that nature is flattering on everyone, so our colour palette and patterns are based on soft, natural shades.”

How did your partnership with Eyejusters come about? “We had seen a segment on The Colbert Report about social innovation that featured adjustable glasses. Since we are not opticians or optometrists ourselves, the way Eyejusters work, allowing anyone to participate in distributing glasses, really resonated with us. With more than 700 million people worldwide without access to refractive care, it is great to be able to recruit anyone who wants to participate in helping. It also makes it possible to reach out to very remote areas that are hard to access with trained personnel and advanced equipment.”

Karmoie is now entering its fifth year – what is the most rewarding aspect of your work? “We love hearing feedback from our customers and from our donation projects. Seeing people wear and enjoy our eyewear validates all the effort we put into creating them. Hearing from our donation partners and following the important work that they do in the field gives us hope and motivation.”

Any additional insights you would like to enumerate about Karmoie? “We believe that every positive action has a positive impact. We created a brand that is mindful of the importance in all the big and small choices we make on our way to the final product. For this we have been awarded the Positive Luxury Butterfly Mark. Awareness is spreading and we are proud to be part of it.” www.karmoie.com JG

Our eyewear world is full of inspirational and passionate women. Designer Birgitte Falvin from Denmark is relatively new to, starting her career in jewellery. “Jewellery has been my playground from the early days, I have worked with many different aspects of the creative process in jewellery.  In the beginning, while I was still studying surface design, I was creating handmade pieces that were sold in independent fashion boutiques in Florence and Copenhagen. The collection had a couture feel, and the statement pieces were eco-friendly. I used a mix of materials, such as vintage pearls, gold wire and couture yarn. I was very interested in surface design and fashion jewellery, and was happy to discover that the department for surface design at the Designskolen Kolding (where I was studying) had a similar approach to the design process as the Institut for Ædelmetal – the design department for jewellery design in Copenhagen.”

Birgitte launched her first eyewear collection in September 2015, and today she is working exclusively on luxurious titanium designs. “Titanium is a lightweight material making it the perfect choice for fashionable, oversized frames. Falvin´s frames often get compliments for their comfortable fit. I find the clean look of titanium interesting, and I like to soften the design with matte and shiny precious lines of rose gold, palladium and 24 carat gold.”

Today, the collection makes a feature of luxury diamonds, beautiful hand cut lens details and unexpected colour mixes. The frames combine an aesthetic attitude with the edginess of Nordic architecture, optimizing the genius of Danish and Japanese craftsmanship. “As a designer, I always look forward to the development of new collections. There are so many possibilities and materials to explore. It is exciting to watch the the brand grow and expand.”

Architecture remains a source of design inspiration for every detail, as it did when the brand first launched. Birgitte explains: “At the beginning, my husband and I walked around Copenhagen, seeking a strong source of inspiration for an elegant eyewear concept. The Royal Danish Library, the iconic modern library building was the perfect inspiration for a collection that represented a blend of contemporary elegance and a cool aesthetic attitude, strongly infused with Nordic references.”
Copenhagen’s iconic Black Diamond houses the Royal Danish Library. “Its irregular angles fascinated me. When the light reflects off the building’s granite-clad surfaces, magic happens. The Falvin team visited the building many times at different hours to see the changing light and colours and to study the building inside and out. We took a lot of photographs, enjoying the asymmetrical design and the beautiful colour palette.”
Today, all Falvin´s frames are based on this concept, and the graphic references are paired with matte and shiny yellow gold, rose gold and palladium details. Frames can be customised with sparkling Wesselton diamonds that recall the glittering surface of the water that surrounds the Black Diamond. Falvin Eyewear will exhibit at Copenhagen Specs this weekend. More details: www.falvineyewear.com CN

Silvana Stefanovic-Riley @embellish_or_perish talks to Eyestylist about glasses, Advanced Style, and a lifelong passion for fashion…

“I started wearing eyeglasses to correct short-sightedness in high school,” says Silvana when we start to look into her first experiences of eyewear. “In those days I saw this as an impediment and I only wore glasses when I absolutely had to.” It’s a common reaction, yet, after a while, like many, she found a new direction in her glasses.

“Over time I relaxed into wearing my prescription sunglasses and started to appreciate them as an accessory that can enhance the look rather than detract from it. As for sunglasses, having lived in Australia for over 40 years, this harsh sunlight requires good sun protection for eyes.”

Photo credit (above): Lauren Farley of @doculifephotography

Explaining her favourite styles, Silvana is inspired by design and individuality: “I love colour and accessories. This makes it easy to find glasses to suit each outfit, mood and occasion. Each year, I buy two pairs of prescription glasses or sunglasses to add to my collection. I have recently purchased this year’s glasses. I have sent one of these frames to Brazil to be hand painted by the talented Erida Schaefer of La Frida Eyewear.”

Sunglasses in particular provide an opportunity for some fun and self-expression. With a sizable collection Silvana says she is always on the lookout for new and different sunglasses to add to the stash. “On occasion. sunnies also provide a much needed confidence boost by covering up the effects of the odd sleepless night. I often take selfies in the same outfit but change the sunglasses and the difference that sunglasses make to the overall aesthetic is incredible, she says.

Advanced Style
“I had followed Ari Seth Cohen’s Advanced Style Blog and IG for a number of years as a ‘passive’ observer,” explains Silvana when we ask about her pictures in Advanced Style.  “I do not recall how I initially came across Advanced Style in the first place, however there was a recurring theme of older women using personal style as a form of self-expression. These women radiate vitality, zest for life and creativity that defies the societal expectations of older people. Older people in general, and especially older women with grey hair, are not seen as being at the forefront of social change. Yet the Advanced Style movement initiated by Ari Seth Cohen is now a worldwide phenomenon.”

Through Ari’s Blog and Instagram, Silvana got to ‘know’ many other Advanced Stylistas, and learnt what gives them the life’s energy to continue to be active, creative and self-expressive older women. “I always thought that I would eventually become somehow involved with the spirit of this sentiment”, she explained. “However full-time work and other family commitments alway took precedent. Despite this, my interest in the Advanced style phenomenon continued. I admired the first Advanced Style Book, then the Documentary movie and eventually the second book – Advanced Style Older and Wiser.” (more…)