The Rolf Team – Ready for the Sun!
Christian Wolf discusses the Rolf Spectacles team’s favourite sunglasses for Summer 2012 – Skylark 41 – featured in the above photo.
“Rolf has a strong connection to old cars, so it is not a surprise that the first ‘woodstone’ sunglasses are inspired by a vintage car. The Buick Skylark Convertible – which like all Rolf frames – was handmade when first produced in 1939. Nowadays, only a few car companies build their cars by hand, or without a lot of computer engineering. I think the same happens everywhere – also in the optical business. Crafting a pair of Rolf glasses requires several hours of handwork and a high degree of craftsmanship. The sanding stage requires lots of concentration and precision, which we leave to experienced hands only. At Rolf, we are always searching for new materials that correspond with the company’s philosophy. The challenge was to try out a material that was not yet used on the market. Stone is the perfect addition to wood and bamboo frames, since stone also offers unique characteristics, which have developed over thousands of years. The layered structure of shale lends a lively up scale surface to the frames. Shale is prone to splintering and breakage. These characteristics have caused doubts about the viability of the project. In order to avoid destroying the stone during pressing, new technologies have been used.
“We try to keep our designs as pure as possible. As we work with natural materials, we think there is no need for special colour lenses, or a huge logo placement. We try to transport a kind of understatement. It is important that customers value the products, and do not spend lots of money because of brand attention. We try to transport a story – not a brand. I think the future will bring more and more sustainable products and new technical innovations. Also, the importance of multifunctional eyewear will increase. In the future, you will be able to do more with sunglasses than just protect your eyes from the sun.” JG
