Interview

Matsuda

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

MATSUDA

Fashion Meets Art

We present an interview with James Kisgen, the CEO who reintroduced Matsuda to the eyewear world twelve years ago, about the brand’s history, current activities and future goals.

When the fashion brand founded by Japanese designer Mitsuhiro Matsuda ceased operations in the 1990s, fashion circles, especially the brand’s followers, were deeply disappointed. Despite changing trends and changing customer demands over the years, the longing for Matsuda had not diminished. In particular, many of the brand’s optical and sunglasses, meticulously handcrafted in Japan, continued to be in high demand by collectors. It was only in 2011 that Matsuda’s unquenchable light met fashion lovers again and the brand turned a new page for itself. Successful businessman James Kisgen breathed new life into Mitsuhiro Matsuda’s legendary brand and reintroduced Matsuda to the fashion world in 2011. We present the interview with James Kisgen, CEO of Matsuda, about the brand’s past, current activities and future goals.

James, thanks for the opportunity to do this interview. Where are you right now and what are you working on?
My pleasure – thank you for doing this interview. I relocated my family to Atlanta, Georgia, which is where I grew up. We’ve recently opened a design studio here and I’ve been working on building the team at the new studio. In the last year we have moved to larger offices in Los Angeles and in Europe and we are currently moving our Japanese office to a larger building to give us more room to grow. We have so many projects coming up and have been very busy making sure we stay on top of everything. Life is good.

It’s been more than ten years since you relaunched Matsuda. You really managed to stay true to the Dna of the brand. What do you attribute your success to?
It hasn’t always been easy, and we haven’t always gotten it right. But we’ve owned our successes and our failures and have always been focused on our vision to bring the brand back in all its glory. We have some of the smartest, most creative people I’ve ever met working to make this happen. None of what we have achieved would be possible without them.

Is it hard to reconcile both past and future of such a historic brand?
I’m always thinking that we have big shoes to fill. But one of the things that I love about the brand is that throughout the entire fifty+ year history, Matsuda has felt “current” and “of the moment”, all while staying true to the vision. So to answer your question, it is always a bit challenging, but the challenge is what drives us.

One of the similarities that you share with Mitsuhiro is a love for France. He traveled to Paris in the 80s to find inspiration for his clothing line. And you also fell in love with France at a young age. What does France mean to you?
Ah, France… One of the most beautiful, fascinating countries in the world. I think that there is such an appreciation for life and for history that exists in French culture. When I moved to France as a teenager, there was so much to explore and discover and it was so different from where I grew up. I also love seeing “old world” and “new world” existing at the same time. I try to draw on this for Matsuda.

How do you keep track of original material, sketches from Mitsuhiro or old products from Matsuda in the company?
We have an incredible archive of original sketches, clothing, eyewear, accessories and lookbooks that we have built over the past 10 years. We are constantly using these for inspiration. As you know, our Heritage Collection features products that we’ve resurrected from the archives that have been re-released in limited quantities.

What are the aspects of the Matsuda brand that inspire you the most?
Matsuda has always celebrated artists and artistry. From the product design, to the craftsmen producing each frame, to the way the campaigns are created – each artist plays an important role in what we do. We will always love and celebrate the work of artists.

You’ve worked as sales manager for Cartier and have some good knowledge about the luxury segment. What are the biggest changes in luxury that you’ve witnessed in the last decade?
Luxury brands have to be great storytellers today – it is what consumers are drawn to. Of course the quality and design of the product are still the most important, but now more than ever consumers want to connect with brands and feel like they are a part of them. There are a lot of great luxury brands out there today, which is very inspiring – but we just put on blinders and focus on staying true to our vision.

Design keeps evolving as well. One of the big movements in the past was a tendency towards less and less details. Yet Matsuda feels so fresh precisely because it has lots of filigree, metal work and “old world details” …
I think that consumers are tired of the monotony of the new ubiquitous brands that keep popping up. I think that you can still appreciate and respect minimalism and pair it with interesting details that give brands like Matsuda a unique personality. Once again though, we haven’t really shifted our vision to fit the current state of trends – this is just who we are and what we enjoy doing.

What was the most important lesson you learned with Matsuda in the past ten years?
We are always looking for new manufacturing processes that will allow us to push the boundaries of design and eyewear even further. I love seeing how all of these new technologies are evolving and becoming more accessible. That being said, craftsmen are an integral part of our company and we will not be abandoning them for machines any time soon…

One great aspect in your endeavor to revitalize the brand was getting parts of the original Matsuda team together. Is that still the case today?
We still have many of the original team members on board and are fortunate to have so much experience and history in the company.

Fashion and art were inseparable for Mitsuhiro Matsuda. Do you think that statement still holds true today?
I can easily say that this perspective and tendency continues one hundred percent. In my opinion fashion is art and is the perfect vehicle for self-expression.

Campaigns were an extremely strong side of the Matsuda heritage. You’ve continued this tradition very well. How do you manage to stay cutting-edge as a brand?
We just like to push boundaries and create beautiful images for our campaigns. Our campaigns are not commercial at all. We never approach them from a commercial point of view, but rather as an art project. At that point, it’s more about creating something that interests us. I think by staying true to what we love we are able to create images that people connect with and help tell a story.

With a decade since you took over Matsuda, what’s a meaningful trend in eyewear that you’ve been able to watch over that timeframe?
Wow, where to begin… I feel like the industry is constantly changing. The change that stands out to me the most is the rise of the independent brands and the amazing level of creativity that exists today. In the last decade both the retail partners and the consumers have fallen in love with independent brands again.

We’ve talked at length about the vision of Mitsuhiro and the brand. But where do you personally find inspiration in your life today?
I would like to say that from everywhere, as cliched as that sounds. Travel, art, fashion, and music are my biggest sources of inspiration. I just like to have fun and create interesting things.

Source: Favrspecs

April 2023

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Sales Point

Rainbow Optik

Posted on by Emre Özden

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RAINBOW OPTİK

In Tracks Of Rooted Legacy

“Thanks to Silmo Istanbul, we can easily access all the products we are looking for or not looking for, know or don’t know, instead of traveling all over Turkey.”

Hello Ms. Yağmur… Can you tell us about how your journey in the optical sector started?
First of all, before starting our interview, I greet all my colleagues with respect and love and wish you a pleasant reading… This sector is my father’s heirloom. In 1995, we entered the sector with Tech Lens, our domestic contact lens production company. Since my father and mother were partners, I spent my entire childhood in our company and therefore in the sector. This situation naturally affected my education and training life, and my orientation and preference was the opticianry department. After working outside for a long time, we opened our first store in Altunizade as Rainbow Optik in 2019.

How did you decide to open your store? Can you tell us about your vision of the organization and the mission you have undertaken?
I had the goal of opening a store during my education life, including my childhood. But in order to do it properly, I needed to know and learn the sector better. In other words, the right time had to come for this goal to be realized. My mission is to prioritize human health in every service I provide, to be result-oriented and to provide high level satisfaction by taking a position for the needs of our patients who prefer our store. Our vision is always; to protect the place we have acquired by growing and to carry it further and to be able to pass it on to my child with the same transparency and honesty as it was left to me.

Your father’s knowledge and sectoral experience must be a very valuable legacy for you. What are you doing to carry this legacy forward?
My father Hızır Yılmaz is the main factor in my involvement in the industry. Throughout my life, there has never been an artist, actor, etc. that I loved or admired very much. But from the day I knew myself, I had only one idol and that was my father. I always wanted to be like him. Because I believe that if I can be like my father, I will contribute and benefit not only to the sector but also to the whole world. For this reason, it is more difficult than expected to carry the knowledge, which we call the heritage that my father left me. Because today’s heritage is left to the children financially and there is no difficulty in using it. But my legacy comes from a very strong spirituality. In this way, I have to take extra care to be beneficial first to my family, then to our society and then to our sector. As a result of this care, we never stay where we are and always strive to be innovative.

We see that you are very meticulous for Rainbow Optik’s store design. What was your inspiration for this concept and what are the reflections on your customers?
I believe that the first impression is always very important. We wanted the patient who enters our store to first feel comfortable and peaceful and then to think that they can find the quality that suits them here. Obviously, when we opened our store, we did not open it with the idea of opening only optics. We wanted to make a difference and reflect our style. We follow technology closely and exhibit and use useful technology in our store. Due to this, the design work and construction phase of our store took longer than we thought of opening this place, we thought about all the details down to the finest detail and stood at the beginning. I am glad we did it this way. Because the first thing our colleagues, representatives and patients say when they first enter our store is praise for our decor.

You are among the newcomers as a retailer. What is your strategy when competing with established stores in your location?
We do not compete with any of our colleagues. The important thing is to be aware that we, as colleagues, will understand each other’s problems the best, and to continue our business properly in respect and love. Instead of applying our strategies to our colleagues, we apply them to move ourselves forward by seeking answers to questions such as ‘how can we provide better service?’ ‘How can we better meet the demands of our patients?’. I wish all my colleagues abundant earnings in a fair way, without resorting to irregular means, being aware that we are friends.

You sell Rainbow brand lenses. Which one has high sales. Eyeglasses or contact lenses?
Rainbow brand contact lenses are, of course, our first favorite and the name of our store. Based on my experience, I try to give the right information about contact lenses to the customers who come to our store in the best way. I am honored to correct the known mistakes about this subject. Glasses and contact lenses are like our children. We are happy to offer the sale of both according to the demand of our customers. This is a difficult question because it is a matter of preference. We offer the most suitable option to our patients in line with supply and demand.

What do you think is the most important problem of the sector and what are your ideas for solving it?
When I think of the sector’s problems, I can think of only two issues. The first is the disputes arising from the advanced competition of optics in the same location. The second one is the referrals made by the doctors working in the hospitals in the location. Both problems are interconnected. Unfortunately, I see that while we are friends with a pharmacy next to us, we are like enemies with our own colleague with the optics in our neighborhood. This issue bothers me a lot. However, we all have the same goal. We all work overtime for this sector. We should think that an urgent product or information deficiency in my store can be completed by my optician colleague, not another workplace near me. We should always be tolerant to each other. We should be supportive. The second problem is a bleeding wound that I have struggled with a lot and never changed. Doctors should do their duty, the patient should go to the optical store of his/her choice and receive service from the place he/she is satisfied with. There is a ‘commercial concern’ in the guidance of the institution or doctor to whom our patients entrust their eye health. The patient should make the best decision for his/her health and budget and should not be directed.

Do you follow international fairs closely?
We participate in all fairs organized abroad, including Turkey, every year. We think that fairs are very productive for the sectors and we benefit a lot from this. First of all, seeing the products and brands exhibited in fairs and expanding our horizons provides us with a lot of knowledge in our business life.  Meeting with our colleagues at home and abroad, chatting with them, refreshing what we do not know or misinformation always benefits us in our business life. For this reason, we do not miss any optical fair as much as possible, we create the necessary time and participate.

What are your thoughts and feelings about the Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair that took place last November?
Silmo Istanbul is a source of pride for us. This fair, which takes place every year and hosts many participants from various countries of the world, is the only example that we are successful as all those who work for the sector. Following this, it is a tremendous event that we are all together as a sector, as all friends, and that we are united even if it is for four days a year. As someone who attends Silmo Istanbul every year both as an exhibitor and a visitor, I can say with peace of mind that it is an organization that guides us and makes us feel at home. Thanks to Silmo Istanbul, instead of traveling all over Turkey, we can easily access all the products we are looking for or not looking for, know or don’t know. The fair lightens the burden on us and strengthens our relationships. I recommend all my colleagues to visit Silmo Istanbul and I hope to see them among us.

As a retailer, how would you evaluate the transition of 4 your eyes optical magazine, which has once again signed the sectoral innovation, to Digital Publication?
I believe that being the only one in your field as 4 your eyes magazine and including digital on the path you have always followed with the same stability will add more to your success. I wish you continued success and I am proud to do this interview with you. May our existence and unity continue. I greet you and all your readers with love and wish that our success will continue in unity.

March 2023

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Wholesaler Interview

Türkeli Tekstil

Posted on by Emre Özden

TÜRKELİ TEKSTİL

Customer Oriented

“We believe that Silmo Istanbul offers an ideal environment and opportunity to expand our customer range and reach a wider audience.”

Hello Mr. Şahin… First of all, could you introduce yourself a little bit and tell us about how you personally crossed paths with the optical industry?
Hello… I am Yavuz Şahin Türkeli. First of all, we would like to thank 4 your eyes family for this interview. Türkeli Tekstil is an Izmir-based company established in 2016. As a result of our product researches since our establishment, we have determined that there is such a gap in the optical sector for eyeglass cases and bags, and as Türkeli Tekstil, we decided to direct a branch of our product range to the optical sector. Since our inception, we continue to serve both at up country and abroad by increasing our design diversity and increasing our product range.

Although you are new in the sector, you have managed to become permanent with your vision. How and when did you decide to establish Türkeli Tekstil?
Being innovative and taking action for a new venture carries some risks. However, from the first day we established Türkeli Tekstil, we focused on responding to the demands and expectations of our customers in the best way possible, taking all risks into consideration. We have developed a customer-oriented vision and in this way, I think we have succeeded in gaining a permanent place in the optical sector, which we are new to. As Türkeli Tekstil, we continue to carry our company forward by taking customer feedback as a guide.

Could you inform us about your company activities, service areas and products?
As Türkeli Tekstil, we are happy to be a part of the optical industry. We produce eyeglass cases and protective cases made of leather and fabric in all sizes for domestic and foreign markets. It is of great importance for us that our productions are made meticulously with high quality materials. Apart from the optical sector, Türkeli Tekstil also manufactures and wholesales makeup bags in all sizes.

What are the differences of eyeglass case and bag design from other accessory cases? Can you share the approval process of the designs?
As Türkeli Tekstil, we of course attach importance to the designs of our products being aesthetically stylish and striking. While preparing our luxury eyeglass cases and bags, we are primarily inspired by the demands of our customers and the latest trends. However, only aesthetic elegance and elegance is definitely not enough for us. For this reason, every case and glasses case produced in our company is specially designed to prevent damage to the material placed inside. Our primary goal is to provide the optimum level of protection, which is the function of the product.

Could you give information about your facility where you produce your products and its capacity?
As Türkeli Tekstil, we continue our activities in an area of two hundred and fifty square meters, which includes our production, storage, quality control and management buildings. Our business meticulously produces approximately two thousand five hundred pieces of eyeglass cases and bags per day.

What is your strategy for expanding your distribution and sales network?
As a newly established company, we are very attentive to announce our business and products to the masses. For this purpose, we are developing both our distribution and sales network through the work of our well-equipped staff promoting our company and products in the market, our advertisements on digital platforms and my personal customer visits. At the same time, thanks to our presence at the Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, which we have been participating in for two years, we are increasing our customer potential and our place in the market day by day.

We know that you have been selling products abroad for the last 2 years. Do you design different products for your customers abroad?
Yes, as Türkeli Tekstil, we have started to work with foreign as well as domestic customers for the last two years. Our first customer abroad was an optical company in Greece. We are still exporting regularly with the aforementioned customer. In addition, we continue to work with companies and customers in different countries who recognize us at the fairs we attend and in the digital environment and decide to work with us. As I mentioned before, we attach great importance to the wishes and expectations of our customers in our products and the services we offer. For this reason, we serve our customers abroad in line with their unique demands. We offer a wide range of options with different models prepared by our designers according to these demands.

Do you also produce product boxes or bags for different sectors?
Yes, we also prepare products for different sectors other than the optical industry. I can count the stationery, cosmetics and jewelry sectors among them. We produce promotional bags according to customer demands in these sectors. We have recently started to produce laptop and tablet cases in line with the demands of our customers. We will continue to produce aesthetically stylish and remarkable cases and bags that ideally protect the products placed in them.

Do you follow international fairs and what are your thoughts on this subject?
I believe that following international fairs closely is of great importance in terms of discovering sectoral innovations, the latest trends, expanding your horizons as a manufacturer and perhaps most importantly, capturing business opportunities. For this reason, as Türkeli Tekstil, we are determined to take initiatives to take our place in these fairs in 2023.

What are your evaluations about Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, which you have been among the exhibitors for two years, and what are its contributions to your company?
We think that Silmo Istanbul Optics Fair offers an ideal environment and opportunity to expand our customer range and reach a wider audience as a company that can be considered new in the sector and produces eyeglass cases and bags. As Türkeli Family, we are happy to be one of the exhibitors of Silmo Istanbul, which manages to go further than the previous year and expands its impact area every year.

Thank you very much for giving an interview to our magazine. Finally, could we learn your views on 4 your eyes and its evolution into digital publishing?
4 your eyes is a magazine that truly guides the optical industry with all its content. I believe that with its transition to the digital platform, it will reach more readers and thus expand its sphere of influence. I would like to thank you for all the effort you put into the sector and for this interview. I wish you continued success.

March 2023

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Interview

Gigi Studios

Posted on by Emre Özden

Gıgı Studıos

Tradition Reinvented

Gigi Studios, which proves its talent to the eyewear world with its vibrant, young and fashionable designs, blends tradition with an innovative approach.

The history of Gigi Studios is a family story; therefore, it can look back on a long tradition. Patricia Ramo’s grandfather founded one of the first eyewear factories in 1962 in Poble Sec, a neighborhood in the heart of Barcelona. Her father, Luis Ramo, worked in the family business for 35 years. Like her father, Patricia Ramo has continued the legacy to this day.

Patricia Ramo brought together all the know-how of her ancestors and spearheaded a comprehensive business transformation. In the process, Luis Ramos stood by her side and supported her ideas. Over the years, with its authentic and consistent image, Gigi Studios has firmly asserted its place in the eyewear cosmos. Gigi Studios’ eyewear frames are made of noble materials such as natural acetate from Italian and Japanese production. The cotton content ensures comfort, suppleness and durability. In addition, acetate offers countless possibilities for colors, constructions and shapes. They are exclusive and created by the brand itself. Gigi Studios focuses on tradition instead of mass production. The original design of the designers of Gigi Studios is the constant reference that guides the craftsmen who make the final product. The team supervises all stages of production. Each of Gigi Studios’ frames requires over 100 manufacturing steps. Working with the best professionals in each specific field ensures that the frames fulfill their main purpose: Comfort, functionality and durability. The family-owned company now serves opticians and independent retailers in over 45 countries.

Gigi Studios embodies a lively, young and fashionable flair like hardly any other eyewear brand. While pushing the boundaries with forward-looking sunglass designs and stylish optical frame shapes, the brand relies on a solid foundation: In charge of leading the family-owned business, Ceo Patricia Ramo is already the third generation immersed in the optical business. We present you an interview with Patricia Roma, Ceo of Gigi Studios, which combines eyewear design and fashion, about collections of the brand and features of its eyewear.

Hi Patricia, Gigi Studios is one of the up-and-coming young fashion brands in the eyewear universe. We would like to hear about how you got started in the sector.
It started when my grandfather created an eyewear factory in Barcelona, back in the 1960s. Then my father, Luis Ramo, carried on his legacy. I inherited my passion for a well-made product from him. I started working in my father’s company when I was 21 and I quickly became hooked on this world.

How did the family values carry over into your brand?
From the very beginning, the aim has been to create a global brand with a constant commitment to improvement. Over the years, professionals from the optical sector wanted to join Gigi Studios. So today, our team includes over 100 people who work up to the highest standards in a creative, young, and international setting.

What distinguishes Gigi Studios from other brands?
I felt that the industry needed a fresh designer brand with high attention to detail and, most of all, one based in fashion. For this purpose, I brought Gigi Studios to this day. I believe that at this point, we are meeting this need more than enough.

What was the reason for changing your brand name to Gigi Studio?
“Gigi” is the name I was called by part of my family when I was a child. And “Studios” comes from a rebranding we did in 2019. We loved the idea of evolving the name of the brand to “Gigi Studios” because we felt that it endowed the brand with an artistic and art studio character. At the same, it provided a more international approach.

You mentioned the studio character. How would you describe the philosophy behind your brand?
Eclectic, avant-garde, traditional, and innovative. We are an independent company with head offices in Barcelona that merges design and creativity with craftsmanship. A free, pluralistic view of fashion that promotes people’s unique identity.

Describing yourself as traditional and innovative at the same time seems like a contradiction. At the end of the day, which aspect is stronger?
Both! I’m the third generation of a family that has always been surrounded by eyewear. This heritage is so important to me. Craftsmanship is our essence and I think it’s also where our modernity lies. I think craft will always be relevant.

You already mentioned your Barcelona heritage. The city seems to be a true melting pot for eyewear. Why do so many eyewear fashion brands originate here?
Barcelona has been a reference in terms of design for many decades now. Today, it’s home to plenty of fashion brands and artists. And the same is happening in the eyewear field.

To what extent does this creative environment influence your eyewear designs?
This environment is a constant inspiration for me and it’s great to have independent brands around us. But the underlying inspiration comes from all around the world and from many different disciplines – including fashion and street trends, artistic movements, also from past decades.

What characterizes the design of Gigi Studios frames?
I would say what characterizes our design the most is our unique metal collection. We were one of the first brands that made a bet on metal at a moment when everyone was focused on acetate. So, we offered the market a trendy and special collection, both in stainless steel and beta-titanium. Nowadays we maintain a very good metal collection but the designs we execute in acetate have a very distinctive approach. That’s due to the way we work with angles and volumes in special constructions.

What would you like to say about your sunglasses collection?
I believe we have one of the most interesting sunglasses collections in the market at the moment. We have a fresh, trendy collection that is desirable for a wide range of consumers.

And the optical collection?
We are slightly more exaggerated in the intention of the sunglass designs compared to our optical styles. But we always maintain a coherence and transversality of the underlying concepts. Plus, we’re always looking to express our unique vision of fashion.

You currently have five collections Vanguard, Icons, Men, XS and Lab. Can you tell us about the characteristics of these collections?
Vanguard is our most emblematic collection. We describe it as the top expression of fashion, modernity, and sophistication. It includes optical and sun designs for women. Men is our collection that offers contemporary designs for men. Optical and sun models in bigger sizes. The Icons collection is characterized by timeless shapes and iconic designs. It’s a genderless collection, also with optical and sun designs. Our Lab collection is inspired by technology and fashion. It comes from experimentation with new materials and technological advances. The subtlety of the designs and the extreme lightness define the collection. Some designs can be called genderless, others more feminine. Finally, the* collection XS* takes up our Dna and applies it to designs for slim faces.

You also like to launch capsule collections and special concepts. What’s currently in the pipeline?
The latest ones were our capsule collection in May and a special Vanguard Collection with a new design concept in June. Besides that, we are working in partnership with brands which I personally like and respect, in order to develop new models together. Stay tuned, many surprises coming in this area.

Source: Favrspecs

March 2023

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Interview, Röportaj

Silhouette

Posted on by Emre Özden

SILHOUETTE

Tinted Glasses and New Models

Titan Minimal Art continues to fascinate millions of eyeglass wearers around the world for twenty-three years with its lightness, comfort and durability…

Austria-based Silhouette succeeded in producing completely rimless, hingeless and screwless glasses in 1999. Feather-light eyeglasses weighing just 1.8 grams… Twenty-three years later, Silhouette defined a new comfort that no other eyeglasses can match even today.

With Titan Minimal Art, Silhouette ushered in a new era that would completely change the company. Before the launch of Titan Minimal Art, lightness was never a topic in the eyewear world, but from that point forward it has become a key feature of all of the company’s products. Few eyeglasses have as many stories to tell as Titan Minimal Art. The TMA flew into space for the first time with NASA astronauts in 2000 and was chosen as the standard goggles for astronauts under the name “Certified Space TechnologyTM”. In the same year, it became the global star of the summer eyewear season. All over the world, hingeless, screwless and rimless sunglasses have become a must of the year. It was no surprise, therefore, that Titan Minimal Art gained international acclaim in 2001. Long before celebrities began to adopt this iconic design as well.

Titan Minimal Art Special Editions were first released in the 2010s and this special edition created even greater excitement among eyeglass wearers. In addition to partnerships with famous faces such as top model Nadja Auermann, star photographer Nick Knight, makeup artist Mary Greenwell and musicians from the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, design collaborations were made with fashion brands such as Arthur Arbesser and most recently Perret Schaad for the 2018 sunglasses season. In 2017, Silhouette reached another milestone by opening Lens Lab to perfect its philosophy of vision without borders. Now the glasses, together with the frames, are produced at the company’s headquarters in Linz with the highest degree of precision, requiring a high degree of craftsmanship.

To celebrate the iconic model’s twentieth birthday, the unique Titan Minimal Art’s Special Sun Edition was launched at the beginning of 2019, just in time for the sunny season. Silhouette celebrated this special year with four stylish new sunglasses. The designs included geometric, architectural shapes inspired by the minimalist lines of the handles. Small eyeglasses were offered in unisex models with trendy hexagonal or cool round lenses, as well as models with cat-eye lenses for women and classic square lenses for men. A new optical version of the ’90s icon was also unveiled in the summer of 2019.

Silhouette is now expanding its exclusive TMA–The Icon collection, with minimalist and modern lines, with four new models. The Austrian brand presents its designs with the glasses in the latest trendy colors produced in its own laboratory. We present an interview with Michael Schmied, Silhouette’s General Manager of Marketing, about the success of the Titan Minimal Art–The Icon collection and the features of the new models.

Hi Michael, Silhouette is a brand that specializes in making high quality titanium eyeglasses. What makes Titan Minimal Art so special?
Titan Minimal Art is an inspiration for the entire design language of the Silhouette brand. I think I can best summarize this collection, which is an example of pure minimalism, with the motto “Renouncing the unnecessary, makes the necessary extraordinary”.

Can you explain the general features of Titan Minimal Art a little more?
You will realize the difference of the TMA collection when you notice the extraordinary lightness of the glasses, the strength and flexibility guaranteed by the high-tech titanium wire, and how comfortable they fit on the face. Many have tried to replicate this level of precision and quality, but no one has succeeded. By dispensing with screws and hinges, we made the Titan Minimal Art not only suitable for everyday use, but also standard equipment for astronauts. The titanium temples of the glasses in the collection fit the face so well that they guarantee a perfect fit even in a gravity-free environment.

So why did you add the name ‘The Icon’ to Titan Minimal Art?
Titan Minimal Art is the ‘Icon’ of the Silhouette brand. We revolutionized the entire eyewear market in 1999 with the models in our Titan Minimal Art collection that weigh only 1.8 grams and do not contain frames, screws or hinges. Titan Minimal Art offers the wearer an absolute lightness with a level of comfort that no other pair of eyeglasses can match. We added the title The Icon to the collection in 2013. We started to expand the collection, which was minimalist and classic at that time, with sporty and more dynamic designs.

You’ve added four new models to your The Icon collection. Can you talk about the new models?
We decided to create new, trendy designs for The Icon collection, including the round oversized glass shape and the butterfly form. Classics such as the smaller round glass shape and the pilot form are also present in our new collection.

By the way, how long have you been working with tinted glasses?
I can say that we have been working with colored glasses for a while. However, it would be more specific if I say especially since we opened our Lens Lab in 2016. We have been offering 100% Silhouette signed eyeglasses since the beginning of 2017, including our own tinting facility in our lens lab.

What do you think are the reasons why colored glass stands out so much?
Tinted lenses allow users to enjoy colors and immerse their world in the light they see fit, not just with sunglasses, but also with optical glasses. You can often come across colored glasses, which is the most popular trend of this year, on catwalks and magazines.

Why do you think tinted lenses are better for rimless glasses than rimless glasses?
Rimless glasses attract attention with their simplicity. On full-frame models, the bezel is prominently featured on the wearer’s face. Frameless models instead allow the windows to shine. This limits the fashion element to the shape and color of the lenses only. For this reason, a frameless eyeglass with colored lenses reflects the entire visual perception on the wearer’s face in a plain, simple and stylish way.

In which color options do you present your new models?
You can choose between radiant rosegold, cosmic blue, mystic ruthenium and spheric silver in terms of colors in our new models in The Icon collection.

Do tinted glasses have other advantages beyond being fashionable?
Of course there is. There are many advantages, although most of them are subjective. Many users find it more comfortable to look with colored glasses; they can choose the color they want to see the world in a more comfortable light. Color theory also claims that certain colors can have mood-enhancing effects, for example.

What technical features do the new models stand out with?
All 100% Silhouette signature glasses are also available with tinted lenses. We can meet any customer request for an optical model with tinted lenses, even progressive lenses, for example. Next year we plan to introduce even more technical and design-oriented innovations.

Who are your new tinted lenses designed for? Are you targeting a specific demographic?
Since tinted glasses and frameless designs are totally in trend right now, our new designs and colors are attracting attention and admiration, especially by younger and trend-conscious consumers.

Do celebrities also prefer your Titan Minimal Art ‘The Icon’ models?
Frameless designs, especially those with colored glass, are very popular right now. You can come across celebrities using our models not only on social media, but also on runways and red carpets around the world. The first name that comes to my mind is Rita Ora. She recently wore a Cosmic Blue colored pair of glasses from our Icon collection and shared her photos on her Instagram account, gaining great acclaim.

Source: Favrspecs

January 2023

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Wholesaler Interview

Arıkan Saat and Optik

Posted on by Erdem

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Arıkan saat ve OPTİK

Always Moving Forward

 

With the Silmo Istanbul, Turkey became a powerful supplier for its geography. For seeing the latest trends in the industry, getting to know the sub-sectors that support the industry and finding new customers, Silmo Istanbul is the right address.

You have several companies and activities under one roof. Which groups do you work with and when did your path cross with the optics industry?
Thank you for your interest. Our company started its activities in Tahtakale in 1985 with the watch trade. After working only in the watch industry for many years, we entered the eyewear industry with the production and sale of licensed children’s eyeglasses in 2005. Then we obtained the production and sales licenses of the world-famous sports brand Slazenger and the fashion brand Lee Cooper, and expanded our eyewear portfolio with our own brands Belmond and Quantum. We have currently reached a considerable size in the market with our four brands. We took our first step in the retail sector in 2013, and we continue to grow steadily since our incorporation of the Konyalı Saat store chain in 2019.

It is a very rational approach to work in both the optics and watch sectors. What are the differences of the two sectors and what do the companies contribute to each other?
Since both product groups fall into the accessory category, our activities have always supported and contributed to one another. Our operating in two sectors has also always had a positive impact on international brands for which we have obtained the license rights. Additionally, since the brand investments we make support both product groups, their returns are higher than in a single category. They are detailed industries with their own dynamics, requiring expertise in two categories, although they have similarities. That is why we manage our business with different teams specialized in their own fields. Although sunglasses are similar to a watch in terms of being an accessory, optical glasses are a very different product group as they are health products, sold in specialized optical stores and have different regulations.

Let’s talk a bit about brands. With which brands do you operate in the optics industry and how do you create the collections of these brands?
We have 4 different eyewear brands that appeal to different lifestyles, tastes and ages. Lee Cooper and Slazenger brands, for which we have the license rights, are prestigious brands with a history of more than 100 years, known worldwide. Quantum and Belmond are our own brands. While creating the collections of all of our brands, we take great care to ensure that the collection is suitable for its target audience, image and competition. We carry out a careful and meticulous work with our design, supply and product management team, each of whom is specialized in their own fields. We produce our collections with different suppliers located in the Far East, which stand out with their production quality, and we import them to Turkey.

Do you also produce in Turkey? What are your thoughts on the development of domestic production?
We do not currently do domestic production. In the recent years, our domestic producers have increased their quality and capacity considerably. We follow all of them closely and I congratulate them for their success. In the coming years, we may work with our domestic producers within our scope of needs.

Do you plan to invest in new brands, new projects or even new sectors?
At the moment, we are focusing on our existing sectors and brands. In these sectors, we are focused on increasing our domestic and international market share, making our work even better, and improving the quality of the service we provide to our business partners.

Your launch with the famous singer Teoman for the promotion of the Quantum brand made a lot of noise last year. Is your 2023 agreement still ongoing?
Our brand Quantum and Teoman suit each other very well. He liked Quantum glasses so much that he prefers our brand’s products also in his daily life, apart from advertising shoots. These communication efforts accelerated our sales. In 2023, we decided to continue our collaborative work with Teoman. We will continue our efforts to increase the awareness of our brand and the sales of our retailers with an enjoyable communication campaign.

In the recent years, the conditions of competition have become quite difficult. Which communication tools do you find more effective for marketing and sales?
The breakthroughs we made in the field of communication especially got a lot of attention this year. We can give the example of our Teoman X Quantum cooperation, which we talked about a little while ago. Digital, TV and outdoor advertisements were also very effective for our brands in the 2022 solar season. Digital and social media communication is indispensable in today’s conditions, as such our communication in these channels continues throughout the year. We also highly value our commercial marketing efforts for our retailers. Visual applications and promotional materials that will highlight our brands, especially in their stores, our retailer meeting where we explain our brands and present our new products, our participation in the organizations of cooperatives and Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair have all become the traditional elements of our retailer communication.

You were elected as the Chairman of the Opticians and Watchmaking Professional Committee in the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce elections held last year. We wholeheartedly congratulate and support you. What are the issues that you see as a problem in the sector that need to be fixed? What should we do or not do for the future of our industry?
First of all, I would like to thank all our industry stakeholders for their support to me and the committee members. Our domestic production companies and importing companies, such as ourselves, have different problems. As such, our aim is to address all the problems of the sector, to develop our sector with all stakeholders and to increase the competitiveness of our companies, especially in international markets. The biggest problem of importing companies is the additional taxes on imports, these taxes unfortunately increase our costs severely. Additional taxes make European brands much more advantageous in competition and make it very difficult for us to offer quality products to our citizens at reasonable prices. In the past days, we held separate meetings with importers and domestic producers, and we came to a joint decision to reduce the additional taxes to a level that would satisfy both the importers and producers. We conveyed this joint decision to the ITO management with a petition to be submitted to the Ministry of Commerce. I would also like to briefly mention other sector problems that we conveyed to the ITO and the Ministry of Trade. Tests applied at customs; TAREKS, reducing the 10% customs tax paid by exporters for spare parts is also our priority. In addition, organizing national participation under the roof of our chamber in Silmo and Mido Fairs, in which at least 30-35 domestic optical manufacturers participate individually, is another issue we are working on.

You will attend Mido Fair, which will be held between 4-6 February. This will be your first foreign fair experience. How did you decide to participate in a fair held abroad and what are your expectations? (You can add if you are going to also attend other fairs.)
First of all, I would like to state that we are very excited about our global adventure, which we will start with Mido Fair. We have been attending Mido Fair as visitors for many years to follow the trends and meet new manufacturers. We export to 60 countries in our watch business. It was time to combine the export success and experience we achieved in watches with our claim in the eyewear industry. This year, we will exhibit the collection of our Lee Cooper brand, for which we have obtained the license rights for only about 40 countries, at the Mido Fair, and our focus will be Lee Cooper. Our aim is to open our other brands to international markets in the coming years. This year, we will also continue to participate in Silmo Paris and, as with every year, Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair.

You have been participating as an exhibitor in Silmo Istanbul, which has been held since 2013. Can you evaluate the development of Silmo Istanbul and the sector in the last 10 years?
While Silmo Istanbul Fair was a local fair both in terms of visitors and exhibitors in the first years, it has reached the international fair category in recent years now. For the last few years, we have been hosting many visitors from both the Balkan countries and the Middle East at our stand. This is the most concrete proof that Turkey has become a powerful supplier for its geography. In addition, the experience of both participating companies and you as the organizer has increased in the last 10 years. Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair is an organization that has proven itself, one that gives a strong momentum to the sector. It is an indispensable organization for us to see the latest trends in the industry, to get to know the sub-sectors that support the industry, and to find new customers.

4 Your Eyes Optical Magazine will continue with “Digital Publication” as of 2023. Can we get your thoughts on this radical innovation?
As with everything else, the publishing industry is adapting to the times. I think it is a great advantage for subscribers to have access to the magazine digitally from anywhere. At the same time, reducing paper consumption is definitely an environmentally friendly approach. As Arıkan, we support this change made for these reasons. As in the past, we will continue to follow and take place in the magazine with our news and advertisements.

February 2023

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Sales Point

Etiler Optik

Posted on by Erdem

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ETİLER OPTİK

40 years of heritage…

 

We support people to integrate their style with the glasses they wear. We provide eyewear consultancy like a personal style consultant.

Hello, as we all know, opticianry is a profession that you inherited from your family. Can we talk about your first entry into the profession and your journey so far?
Ufuk: As you have said, Etiler Optik is a family company. It was founded in 2007 by and under the leadership of my late uncle, Mr. Arif, the father of Ms. Seda. As a result of my uncle’s 30 years of experience, after Etiler Optik was opened in 2007, we have realized our sales and targets every year and we have come to these days.

Seda: My father has been in this business for many years and when he decided to establish this business, he prepared me for it until he got to that stage. I first started working in the sector in a lens company and then I continued in a frame company. Then my father said, “OK, you’re ready” and we opened this place in 2007. After that, he said, “You can’t do it here alone. You need some support,” and we started working together, as Ufuk told us.

Etiler Optik is a legacy of 40 years of experience for you. It is a great achievement to continue this, and also, to move forward by adding more to it every year. What has this journey been like for you and what are your plans for the future?
Ufuk: It was a very challenging process. You know as is an idiom: “fighting tooth and nail” Especially after the death of my uncle, we worked from 07:00 in the morning until late in the evening so that the customers would not feel his absence and continue to come here. We are glad that we did so, because we continue to grow with the number of customers increasing every year.

In 2022, you had your store redecorated. Let’s talk about the inspiration for your new concept and its reflection on customers.
Ufuk: To be honest, after 15 years, the store needed to be renovated and updated. We worked with a very successful architect who is an expert in his field. Together, we analyzed the decorations of some boutique eyewear stores in Italy and America and designed and built a store that would appeal to Etiler Optik customers and this location. The feedback from customers has been very good. We are enjoying the new store.

Etiler and its surroundings have always been a favorite neighborhood for big brands, companies and businesses. What kind of responsibilities does owning a store here and being in the middle of this competition bring?
Seda: We are aware of the location and our customer base. The people who prefer us do not prefer products that they can find elsewhere, on the contrary, they prefer products that are never seen and no one has. You can find fashion brands and collections of boutique brands in all the stores around us. We make choices that will suit our customer base and offer them what they want rather than the best-selling eyewear. We buy products knowing what we can sell to whom. In fact, we help people integrate their style with the eyewear they wear. We provide eyewear consultancy like a style consultant, not to meet needs. Here, the customer’s submission to us is a very nice feeling. They respect our ideas and suggestions, the choices we deem appropriate for them and they trust us very much. When our customers come here, they say, “There are very different designer eyewear, I have never seen them before, they are exactly what I am looking for”. This is a proof of how much we know each other.

Where and how do you source these different and special eyewear for your customers?
Ufuk: We go to all the fairs abroad as visitors. Before going to the fair, we spend hours in front of the computer and examine their collections. We see the products before we go to the fair. When we get there, we can say, “This is very nice, this is suitable for our customer profile. We travel all over the world to bring different products to our customers. That’s why, as Seda said, they say “We have never seen these products anywhere”. Our first goal is to make our customers feel that their eyewear is being looked at when they walk outside, if we can make a friend say how beautiful your eyewear is, where did you buy them and if our customers are satisfied with the product, we have done our job properly. 

Which has higher sales? Sun or optical?
Seda: We can separate this as branch and location. For this store, we can say that optical and sun sales are more or less equal. This is a 15-year-old store, so we have a long-term and loyal relationship with our customers. They have been buying eyewear here for years and they trust us. We can say that almost all of the store in Bebek is sun-oriented. As you know, it is not as old as this store. Therefore, when that place also establishes its own customer profile, if it wants to buy optical glasses, so to speak, regulars will be formed.

Do you plan to branch out elsewhere?
Ufuk: We also divide the work between Seda and me. Since Seda is in charge of the financial management of the business, she always takes more cautious and solid steps. I want it so much, and if it wasn’t for Seda’s brakes, we would have opened it already. Of course, we never have a goal of becoming a chain store with many branches. We do not want to lose the boutique store concept.

What do you think is the most important problem of the sector and what are your ideas for solving it?
Seda: There is something that we believe is very real and we are talking about it together. Not only for us but also for our other colleagues, there is the biggest problem in the competencies of our colleagues serving in the optical sector throughout Turkey. We are also included in this situation. There is no optometry in Turkey. It is actually a very good thing that the patient’s eye measurement is done and everything comes out of a single hand in a compact way. He goes to the doctor and gets a prescription. He comes here to buy glasses. Sometimes, due to economic reasons, he buys the lens from another place and the frame from another place. However, if we had Optometry, we would have the chance to follow up patients more compactly and accurately.

Ufuk: We go to the workshop, we cut the lens, we assemble it in the most suitable frame, we provide all the comfort of the customer. If I can do all this, why can’t I determine the eye number of my customer? That’s why the arrival of optometry in Turkey is what Seda and I both see as the biggest deficiency.

You have created a design brand that can compete with international brands. How is the Sauren brand progressing, how does it feel to be far above the targets?
Ufuk: Actually, neither of us expected that things would come to this. In 2017, when we received an award in the luxury segment category at the Silmo Paris Fair in France, everything changed in an instant. It was the first time a Turkish brand received such an award, which gave us a much bigger responsibility.  Of course, we are working hard to maintain this and we are improving every day.

Seda: The most important reason why Sauren Eyewear is designed by Etiler Optik and used in the world and in Turkey and why brand awareness is increasing so much is our location and customer profile. When opinion leaders, celebrities and our customer base with high quality tastes come to our store, really like the products, buy and start using them, it is the best promotion. Promotion born out of customer satisfaction is the most reliable and fastest.

You were both an exhibitor and a visitor at Silmo Istanbul. We would like to hear your opinions about Silmo Istanbul from both perspectives.
Seda: As a visitor, it is a very nice and precious feeling to come together with many colleagues from Turkey and many parts of the world. As a visitor, I am happy to come and visit, stop at every booth and hug each of my friends. It is a very valuable organization where you really bring everyone together.  You have 4 days to master everything at once. What’s new? Who brought what? As an exhibitor, it is much different. You guide us and make us feel at home every time. You take the burden off our backs. Thanks to you, we don’t have to travel around Turkey. At the same time, sharing these experiences with you is very sincere, real and warm.

Ufuk: I can say that Silmo Istanbul is a place of ‘Feast’ for our sector. It ensures that human relations are always vivid.

4 your eyes optical magazine will now continue as a Digital Publication. How do you evaluate this change and innovation as a storekeeper?
Ufuk: Technology is one of the things you cannot say no to in the world. If you are aware, you don’t see many people reading newspapers anymore. We even read newspapers on our cell phones. This is something that the new world offers us. We can’t go against it. If we can access everything digitally, there is no need for the magazine to be live in front of us. We can access it digitally anytime and anywhere.

Seda: It’s very innovative. We are not lagging behind the times. Thanks to you. You advertise our brands in the magazine every month. Thanks to you, we make our advertisements, and when we go digital, everyone will be able to access these interviews, even those who don’t have a magazine in their hands. One does not necessarily have to be where the magazine is located to access the magazine.

February 2023

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Interview

Minamoto

Posted on by Erdem

MINAMOTO

Zen & Craftsmanship

Minamoto, firmly rooted in Japan’s traditional eyewear craftsmanship, continues to launch its collections with modern touches to Western audiences.

The Japanese brand Minamoto was founded three years ago with the aim of bringing the highest quality Japanese craftsmanship and craft traditions to Western customers. Minamoto eyewear not only follows the traditions of Japanese craftsmanship, but the passion for precision and quality of the Japanese eyewear industry is evident throughout its collections. Minamoto continues its journey with a unique dedication to craftsmanship in Sabae, the eyewear center in Japan’s Fukui Prefecture. Minamoto, who is a firm believer in the traditions of its country, has entrusted even its logo, which is prepared using traditional methods, to a master calligrapher. The brand, which does not neglect to add modern touches to traditional methods in the production process, aims to bring its unique eyewear collections to a wider audience.

Minamoto’s commitment to authenticity is not limited to eyewear designs. The brand also carefully handcrafts its eyeglass cases from a decorative paper called washi, which is unique to Japan. Thus, when Minamoto’s original eyewear come together with the original eyeglass cases, the authenticity that defines the brand’s Dna is ideally revealed. Another value element that defines Minamoto’s Dna is its inspiration from Zen philosophy. In its eyewear collections, the Japanese brand liberates itself from unnecessary details in order to focus on the essence of the product. Comfort, high quality, refinement, unparalleled attention to special details and meticulousness become Minamoto’s true values. Capturing the spirit of Zen, Minamoto designs follow the path of simplicity and minimalism and promise comfort and convenience to their wearers as they are made of titanium. Here is an interview with Product Manager Hajime Hori about Minamoto and its philosophy.

Hello Hajime, when and where did Minamoto’s journey begin?
It all started at the end of 2019, with a conversation with EU management about how we could improve market recognition for our company. When I was working in Europe, I heard some comments from our customers—that they weren’t aware that our company is Japanese. So, our initial discussion was to bring that “Sense of Japan” into the product for European people.

What is the brand name all about? Does the term have a deeper meaning?
Minamoto means “Origin”. Our team chose Minamoto as our brand name because we wanted more people to know about the spirit of Japanese craftsmanship and the roots of our company.

This meaning is also evident in your calligraphic logo…
Yes, our logo is expressed in a single Kanji character referring to the source, the origin of water. The logo represents our hope that our Japanese products will be accepted and loved by Europeans, just as a small spring becomes a river and, after a long distance, eventually pours into the sea and mixes with it.

Could you tell us about Minamoto’s Dna and philosophy?
It can be described with two words: Zen and Craftsmanship. The word Zen has a broad meaning, but in terms of what Zen means to Minamoto, it’s about eliminating what is unnecessary and maximizing its value. To express what Zen means in Minamoto’s designs, we can give the example of a single flower vase. The eye should be focused on that single flower, which is selected with the utmost care so the viewer can experience the beauty of the flower to its fullest extent. Craftsmanship isn’t just about the technical aspect of manufacturing eyewear, but also to the attitude of the person—approaching manufacturing critically to make things better. Craftsmanship is therefore one of the core principles of our brand.

Japanese brands are known for their attention to detail. Is meticulous attention to detail a priority for you as Minamoto?
At Minamoto, we are strongly committed to the traditional Japanese way of making eyewear, so we pay close attention to every detail in the creation process. We focus on the longevity of our products and try not to overlook any detail. We avoid showing hinges and screws clearly and avoid using plastic nose pads and temple tips.

It’s not surprising that you specialize in titanium. What speaks for this material?
Light, Durable, Hypoallergenic, chemically stable titanium is the best material for eyewear. And titanium is also a part of our origin, so it is a perfect match to our brand.

Could you tell us about your future goals as Minamoto?
I would like to increase the number of Minamoto fans even more. I will continue to work hard to showcase our craftsmanship to make the brand better, because craftsmanship is a journey that requires constant learning.

Source: Spectr

February 2023

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