Design + Inspiration

Improving lives with better vision

Geographically, Norway and Fiji would seem to have nothing in common, yet they are intricately linked with eye care projects. When Kirsten and Lars Iversen started their eyewear company – Karmoie – in 2010, their goal was to create a brand that was also committed to sustainability and social issues. This visionary perspective connected Karmoie to Eyejusters, and now the Norwegian brand donates corrective glasses to people around the world. The project had great appeal to Kirsten and Lars, with the realisation that there are approximately 700 million people who live without the glasses that they truly need. These circumstances can result in poorer education; restricted work; lost opportunities; and an estimated global economic loss of over £200 billion per year. (Top image: Lars and Kirsten Iversen)

The association with Eyejusters has enabled Kirsten and Lars to work on projects in Morocco and Uganda, plus travelling to South Sudan and Fiji to see first hand how the clinics work. They have discovered the experience to be inspirational; invigorating; heart-warming; and emotionally rewarding as well. “We have interesting stories,” related Kirsten, “like when we were on one of the smallest islands in Fiji, and met a woman who had broken her glasses irreparably a few years ago. She hadn’t been able to see an optometrist and get new glasses, so she tried to manage without. To see the emotion on her face when she could see again with glasses was really moving.

“On Cicia in Fiji, we worked with teenagers, and one girl wanted glasses, but didn’t need them. She tried to fool us during the eye test! She was hanging around the compound, so we asked her to help us out as an interpreter. She was smart, kind and graceful, and the patients responded really well to having one of their own be such an active part of the eye care team. We were able to shift her desire for her own pair of glasses, into an interest for eye care and performing vision tests.” Kirsten and Lars noted that in South Sudan and Fiji, the logistics, infrastructure and access are the main challenges. The Eyejusters system is easy to teach, and that has motivated local aid workers to pursue more eye care training.

“To Lars and I, gratitude and giving back go together. Honestly, knowing how blessed you are without wanting to show generosity in return feels shallow. We wanted giving back to be an intrinsic part of our product, rather than dependent on our financial success. We donate one pair of corrective glasses for every pair of Karmoie frames or sunglasses we sell. Creating your own company and starting up can at times, be quite exhausting. The fact that we can feel good about what we do, and how we give back is invaluable when it comes to motivating us to push through when it gets tough.”

Karmoie designs are created in Norway – in an Oslo atelier – inspired by beautiful, crisp, Nordic nature and Scandinavian minimalism. Karmoie was awarded the Butterfly Mark, a prestigious acknowledgement powered by Positive Luxury, for their commitment to protect the planet’s resources. www.karmoie.com  JG

“Sometimes you need to get away from it all to make peace with reality”

Looking beyond. Always. This is Blackfin’s inspirational vision for life and eyewear. Now they take a new path: the search for the self, and looking at the world in new ways with open eyes  – in their new campaign – Spiritual Renaissance. Blackfin then expresses these discoveries with unique eyewear creations. To capture a natural backdrop that reflects the inner journey, the Italian brand chose the contrasting topography of Lanzarote – both magnificent and magical – with its ragged cliffs, lava rocks, desert wilderness and rolling ocean waves. (Top image: Brighton – Spiritual Renaissance by Blackfin)

Blackfin embarked on this campaign as a way to look into its company values; with the refusal to reject all that is standardised; striving for excellence; and never accepting conventional definitions. The frame designs – stunningly photographed by Giovanni De Sandre – visually illustrate the raw, rugged beauty of Lanzarote. The natural setting with its prolific extremes is effortlessly and simply transformed into eyewear that is totally streamlined, and unrestricted from all that is superfluous. Crafted from the purest titanium in Blackfin’s studios, the frames are superbly lightweight, yet strong and durable – just one of the attributes of premium, quality titanium. Sunglasses and optical styles demonstrate the versatility of titanium, with dramatic frame shapes that portray quiet luxury and sophistication.

Nicola Del Din,, CEO of Blackfin stated: “In 2018, keeping faith with our pay-off  ‘Looking beyond. Always’ we want to look beyond from a more inner, almost spiritual point of view. In recent years, the world has forgotten many essential ethical values, which it is trying to rediscover with considerable difficulty…in some cases, in a completely unnatural way. Blackfin has never lost those values, nor has it ever betrayed them. With the new campaign, we want to emphasise the importance of a general return to the true essence of things.” www.blackfin.eu JG

The 100% Optical fair takes place in London this weekend. Several new exhibitors were announced in the last week, including Blackfin from Italy, David Green from South Africa and Hemp Eyewear from Scotland… as well as the iconic brand l.a. Eyeworks, from California!

Blackfin will bring its state-of-the-art titanium collection, recently updated with new colours and elegant layered silhouettes that play with colour contrasts and a spectacular frame-on-frame effect. Above: Blackfin is known for its expertise in titanium production. The frame pictured is the award-winning ARC BF822. www.blackfin.eu

Also confirmed this week is the very latest collection from l.a. Eyeworks. The Los Angeles company has long had a successful presence in the UK at stores that include Jones and Co. (Manchester), Frames in the Lanes (Brighton) and Grey St Optician (Newcastle). Style highlights include colour expertise and characterful shapes: in cateye model Ferris the bespoke lens inserts create dynamic interplays of colour and pattern. Visit their stand and look at their new season colours at www.laeyeworks.com

Tavat Eyewear, famous for the SoupCan design, returns to 100% from their HQ in Italy, to unveil the “Tactile” models in London, designs which focus on a timeless, tasteful aesthetic whilst offering the ultimate in functionality and design precision. The four new acetate shapes have a 3-step minimal hinge design and unusual pin-stripe laser treatment, forming a pattern inspired by the design of Italy’s famous ‘Riva’ boat. Find out more at www.tavateyewear.com

100% takes place at ExCel in London from 27th to 29th January. For more details and a list of the final confirmed exhibitors visit www.100percentoptical.com. We wish everyone an excellent visit to London! CN