Eyestylist

Trending in optics: Gaëtan Gaye is a Belgian entrepreneur, brand builder and business developer in the field of modern luxury. With a background in the fine watchmaking industry, where he worked for one of the world’s three leading luxury groups, he draws on his 15 years of expertise to further enhance the eyewear experience and its desirability. His scented eyewear formulas under the brand Alpagota have caught the imagination of  luxury optical retailers worldwide, delivering a brand new experience to aficionados of fine frames. Gaëtan talked to us in this exclusive interview ahead of the Silmo Paris event this month.

We have seen that you have added a perfumier stockist for the first time for your eyewear products. Can you tell us about this new partnership and how it has come about? What is Galilu’s speciality as a retailer? We now work with Galilu in their seven stores in Poland. Being sold alongside iconic brands such as Aesop, Byredo and Dyptique has always been a goal. Alpagota is at the crossroads of two worlds: optics and beauty, and we want to develop both distribution channels simultaneously. We focus on visual well-being, and it is only natural that after taking care of your skin, hair and body, you should take care of your eyes. If you happen to wear glasses or sunglasses, that means eyewear care. Above: Gaëtan Gaye, Founder of Alpagota, Eyewear Care Re [de]fined™ 

Alpagota has already become a favourite product in many luxury optical stores. What has been the key to building the brand this last year? Are you stocking direct in Europe, Asia and North America or are you seeking distribution partners? The key is and always will be the people. Those who embrace what we do and share the same values. The stores we work with are true visionaries. We are currently distributed in more than 20 countries, including Europe, Asia and North America. Europe is our strongest B2B market and I see a promising future in the United States, as it is our largest DTC market. We are stocked in all the stores of Black Optical in the US but we still need to find the right distribution partner. The recent tariffs might slow the process but I am confident it will happen soon.

What has been the biggest challenge? And the biggest surprise? We are generating a lot of interest and enthusiasm. Every week we receive enquiries from stores all over the world. We recorded triple-digit growth of +261% in the first half of the year compared to last year and have therefore focused on increasing our production capacity in Antwerp to meet demand. That is our biggest challenge to date. The biggest surprise was undoubtedly having a full page of PR coverage in the Financial Times‘ How To Spend It magazine. This is the most valuable and widely read magazine in the world. Such international recognition is a game changer for us.

Is the reaction all positive or have you had to do a lot of work to explain your philosophy and direction to the optical business in general? For now, we mainly work with people who have contacted us or seen us at trade shows, but education plays an important role in our daily work. We are challenging the way this product category has been perceived by the industry and customers for decades. It is a €12.5 billion market from which most opticians derive no income. They have been trained to view eyewear care at the same level as a merchandising key chain. This has to stop, because it minimises the importance of taking care of your glasses. No wonder so many people walk around with dirty lenses. Alpagota is redefining the way people care for their eyewear and their visual well-being.

Currently which is you favourite ALPAGOTA product and why? I can’t choose a favourite product, but Vision °III, our superior aromatic lens cleaner, is currently our bestseller. In addition to cleaning and protecting your lenses, its green mandarin and cedarwood scent gives you a sensory boost every day. It becomes a morning ritual that you can look forward to.

What’s coming next? We have many projects in the pipeline, ranging from new products to new business opportunities. At Silmo, for example, we will be unveiling our first collaboration with an eyewear brand and our very own ceramic trays. Stay tuned and visit us at our booth in Hall 7!

Find out more about the Antwerp-based brand, Alpagota on Eyestylist.com at https://www.eyestylist.com/2025/01/alpagota-changing-the-face-of-eyewear-care

Visit the brand website at https://alpagota.com

Interview by Clodagh Norton, exclusively for Eyestylist.com. All rights reserved.