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.
https://www.eyestylist.com/2025/01/alpagota-changing-the-face-of-eyewear-careVisit the brand website at https://alpagota.com
Interview by Clodagh Norton, exclusively for Eyestylist.com. All rights reserved.
Swedish eyewear brand EOE Eyewear launch ‘Novel Frames’
The Northern Swedish eyewear brand launches a line inspired by literary works
In true innovative spirit, Swedish eyewear brand EOE Eyewear has created their new designs to reflect literary works in original ways. The collection features select silhouettes adorned with quotations from texts by six renowned northern writers, weaving the storytelling into the designs. Each frame is inspired by natural forms and earthy colour palettes, with exquisite tones such as pine and amethyst, light bark and smoke.
The collection is divided into two series, a base collection reflecting timeless elegance with a minimalist spirit, and a limited special edition which showcases inlays and sculpted words and quotations from the featured writers. The result is a collection aesthetic which invites the wearer to see the world through the lens of literature unique to the geographical location where EOE Eyewear has its origins. Above: Sadek by EOE Eyewear – this frame is created in bio acetate and features a temple core with engraved pattern inspired by a mountain range – a reindeer horn detail appears on the temple tip
Balaliden in the Novel Frames series is a tribute to Stina Stoor, an author from the far north of Sweden, whose lyrical prose is rich with local dialect. Stoor was born and raised in the village of Balaliden which is in Vasterbotten country (Bjurholm Municipality). The words “Se! Se här! Se Då!” appear on the temples in gold (translating loosely “yes yes see that…) adding a glamorous and at the same time surprising final touch.
The SKELLEFTEÅ Author model is inspired by the words of Stina Jackson with the quotation: “Ljuset. Det stack och brann och slet i honom” in English translation, “The light. It stung and burned and tore at him…” The lettering is audacious and immediately noticeable like a jewellery embellishment that becomes a statement of design. Find out more about EOE Eyewear at https://www.eyestylist.com/2022/04/limited-edition-preview-eoe-x-cake-get-creative/ and more on the frames at www.eoe-eyewear.com
MYKITA in Bangkok
MYKITA has opened a second store in Bangkok – in centralwOrld
The store is the German brand’s largest location in Bangkok and is situated in centralwOrld, known as one of Asia’s largest lifestyle destinations.
“Nearly 20 years after MYKITA first arrived in Thailand, it is such a privilege to open a second store in Bangkok with the same longstanding team and partners who have supported the brand here from the start,” says MYKITA founder and creative director, Moritz Krüger. “It’s a reflection of the close bond we enjoy with a community that values the craftsmanship and attention to detail that define MYKITA. I’m truly happy and grateful to see this new chapter take shape.”
Minimalist architecture meets advanced optical technology in the new store. Designed by the MYKITA in-house architecture team, the clean interior lines and refined material palette create a calm, light-filled setting for exploration and consultation. This understated environment provides a visual counterpoint to the surrounding retail and cultural hub, inviting visitors to slow down and engage with the design details in the collections. Above: the new MYKITA in Bangkok
The store offers the complete MYKITA portfolio, including the optical and sun frames, limited-edition collaborations, and the latest seasonal releases. There is a full range of optical services, including precise eye exams, personalised style consultations, and lens customisation with ZEISS technology. MYCARE services ensure ongoing maintenance, repair, and longevity for every frame, reflecting MYKITA’s commitment to responsible design and conscious consumption. MYKITA’s first store in Bangkok opened in 2019 and is located at Sindhorn Village (Room C115/2), Soi Langsuan – read about the store here on Eyestylist.com: www.eyestylist.com/2019/11/mykita-bangkok/
Unit B111, 1st Floor, Zone B (CENTRALWORLD) 4, 4/1-4/2, 4/4 Rajdamri Rd., Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Junya Watanabe catwalk featuring eyewear by Kuboraum
Looking ahead to SS26, and the menswear collection by Junya Watanabe; eyewear featured by Kuboraum
Stark, face-hugging shapes, bold thick-rims and trending eyewear in all sizes – from small ovals to oversized geometric shapes were the ideal finishing touch at the catwalk presentation by Junya Watanabe SS26, a collection for men where opulent colours and textures were prevalent in silhouettes which drew on iconic looks from past decades. In the designer’s FW2004 collection, tailored suits were featured made from upholstery fabrics found in antique markets. In this SS26 collection, Wantanabe revisits this direction once again.
The eyewear by Kuboraum featured on the catwalk included the wraparound mask E21 SUN in the Reisen Series, a bold wraparound acetate mask. Also making an appearance were the E22 SUN, an iconic close-fitting mask deign; small, round sunglasses H62 SUN, and H34, one of our favourite metal masks from the Berlin label – and a trending eyewear shape that has a futuristic, sci-fi aesthetic. Above: Junya Watanabe man / Spring/Summer 2026 – catwalk images. Featuring MASK X6 – eyewear by Kuboraum. Photography credit: Junya Watanabe
“This time I took interest in something that is old but feels new, or something new that is born in the process of reproducing old things…” Junya Watanabe
Kuboraum eyewear is designed in Berlin and handmade exclusively in Italy. The frames are crafted in unique premium materials. Described as a brand with its own look and power, Kuboraum aims to highlight personality and the features of the person wearing the frame through their designs. All images courtesy of Junya Watanabe. (Special thanks to Kuboruam). Find out more about the brands at https://junyawt.com and www.kuboraum.com
Jacques Marie Mage (JMM) Gallery, London, UK
Luxury eyewear: Jacques Marie Mage (JMM) ‘Gallery’ opened in the Spring on Chiltern Street
Offering a signature selection of limited-edition eyewear, leather goods, jewellery, finely curated artifacts and ‘exceptional objects’, JacquesMarieMage London is conceived as a modern approach to the traditional aesthetic of the old-world gentleman’s club. The store interior was created by the French interior designer Jacques Garcia to bring both authenticity and originality to what is the first retail outlet for JMM in the UK.
“With an almost futuristic or innovative approach, we go back in time in order to begin a narration at the beginning of the 19th century and invite the discerning collector to join us on our travels,” said Garcia about this concept. “What inspired me was 19th century English literature, philosophers from across the Channel, those British films from the 1950s in black-and-white where mist is omnipresent, and of course the English taste for extremely lively woods – mahogany, for example – and strong colours.”
In line with all JMM Galleries (there are already ‘JMM galleries’ in several cities including Tokyo, Milan and Paris), a feature of the location is its foundational furnishings, a suite of custom creations produced by Paris-based furniture design firm Hervet Manufacturier to complement the gallery’s distinctive offerings and custom decor, including a large-scale, multi-piece painting entitled Vanitas Vision, created by Andy Dixon. The Vancouver-born, Los Angeles-based artist creates bright and opulent works that often reference Renaissance-era portraiture or Flemish still lifes. He integrates odd juxtapositions and electric palettes into colorful canvases that reflect upon the rituals and totems of affluence and privilege.
“My work always samples from art history and I’ve explored the Vanitas themes many times,” said Dixon. “These pieces mark a breakthrough in how things look, though. They’re among the first paintings that have this kind of punk cut-n-paste aesthetic to them and I plan on carrying that into all pieces moving forward!” Above: the facade of JMM on Chiltern Street – one of London’s most exclusive shopping destinations
A display of the signature of JMM, the design, aesthetic style and ‘provocative artistry’, the London Gallery embodies what the LA company describing it as an “especially sophisticated sense of English eccentricity, yet another rarified experience that encourages collectors to ‘Embrace The Spectacle'”.
Jacques Marie Mage JMM Gallery, 20-22 Chiltern Street, London W1U 7QD
The JMM Gallery in London opened on 28th February 2025. For more information: JacquesMarieMage.com