Sales Point

Emgen Optik

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

EMGEN OPTİK

Rooted Legacy

“In addition to being informed about developments of abroad with Silmo Istanbul, it is a source of benefit and happiness to exchange ideas with colleagues you meet from different provinces.”

Hello Mr. Burak, could you tell us about yourself and your story of meeting the optical industry?
I was born in 1979 in Istanbul. I am one of the fourth generations in my family born in Istanbul. In 2002, I graduated from Istanbul Bilgi University business faculty. In 2005, I completed the international business master’s program at Bournemouth University. After working in different sectors until 2018, I entered our family business. When I realized that we are a well-established brand as Emgen Optik, I realized that I should continue this legacy in the most ideal way. I am currently actively continuing my business life as the chairman of the board of directors of our company. Putting making money on the back burner, I re-entered university after the age of 44. I am currently a student in the department of opticianry. My biggest goal is to develop this brand like my grandfather and father and to hand over a strong company that can manage itself to those who will take over the flag after me.
Emgen Optik has a rooted history. Could you tell us about how and when your store was founded?
Emgen Optik was born when my great grandfather, Pharmacist Salih Necati Emgen, opened his first pharmacy in Üsküdar Square in 1901. The company started to focus on the eyeglass business after 1925. After Salih Necati Emgen’s death in 1948, his son (my grandfather) Rahmi Emgen opened the store in Beyoğlu Istiklal Street, which operated until 2003, focusing only on opticianry. Rahmi Emgen, who was a founding member and president of the “All Opticians Association”, now known as the “Turkish Optical and Optometric Professions Association”, which was established in 1951, also realized the first optical lens production. In the early 1980s, my father Necati Çetin Emgen, who studied business administration in Austria and also has an optician’s diploma, took over the flag from my grandfather and continued the activities of Emgen Optik at the same address for 42 years.
You recently moved your store from Istiklal Street in Beyoğlu, one of the historical districts of Istanbul, to a location in Beyoğlu. What are the reasons for not giving up on Beyoğlu?
As you know, the main street buildings where the stores are located on Istiklal Street, although they are very valuable due to their status as historical monuments, are buildings with high renovation costs that you need to take care of seriously in terms of earthquake risk. On this occasion, we started to look for a newer and larger store that would not leave the borders of Beyoğlu towards the end of 2022. Our criteria included a new building concept and a comfortable space where our customers could spend more comfortable and longer time. We are very happy and peaceful that we were able to achieve these criteria in our new store. As much as we can, we will continue our commercial activities in Beyoğlu, which we see as the place where we were born and where we stayed the longest.

Do you have products from every group in your store?
Of course, we display and sell the product groups that should be in every optical store. From optical & sun frames, optical lens, contact lenses, solutions and many other eyewear accessories, we work with many brands, both foreign and domestic. Currently, we cooperate with a total of 21 distributors from different categories. As we stated in the promotional advertisements of our new shop, we have been an eyeglass shop since the day we were founded. We do not sell any other products (such as watches) or provide technical support other than eyeglasses and its other product groups.
What are the most popular brands of optical and sunglasses sold in your store?
We usually work with big international distributors. In sunglasses, we mainly sell Versace, Dolce Gabbana, Prada, Bulgari, Emperio Armani, Rayban, Persol and Vogue from Luxottica group. Carrera, David Beckham, Missoni, Jimmy Choo, Mark Jacob, Polaroid are the most demanded products from Safilo group. At the beginning of this year, we started selling Gucci, Saint Lauren, Montblanc, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga brands with Elit Optik. On the optical glasses side, Montblanc, Eschenbach (titanflex), Rayban, Dolce Gabbana, Silhoutte, Carrera, Vogue are the product ranges that stand out in the preference ranking.

How do you choose the brands of optics and sunglasses you sell?
We prioritize the demands of our existing customers and the availability of new iconic models. While we prefer classic models for our middle-aged customers, for our young and potential customers we prefer models with more vibrant colors and more iconic designs. Therefore, our brand choices are also formed in this direction. The main reason for our choices is brand awareness and production quality.
Designer brands are very popular in recent years. Do you also receive requests from your customers in this direction?
Although the popularity of designer brands has increased in recent years, we approach this issue with some caution. Because the shape and color of a pair of glasses are as important as their fit and their compatibility with the anatomical structures of the nose and behind the ears of the customers. We do not approve of a designer brand that has become popular with its abundant sharing strategies on social media but has a single-axis production. In addition to this, brands that rise rapidly on social media channels and lose their demand within 1-2 years are in the second plan for us.
What are your after sales services?
We continue to support our customers after sales. Especially during the sale, we advise our customers to come to us at certain intervals to eliminate deformations in the eyeglass frames that may occur in the future due to personal use. In addition to our spare parts support, we also offer services for the repair and maintenance of defective eyeglass frames, even if they did not buy them from us.
What role do you think the window layout and interior design of an optical store plays in sales? What did you pay attention to while preparing these elements in your new location?
In my opinion, the interior design and showcase of a store reflects the spirit of that company and its perspective on the customer. Therefore, the customer profile also forms and develops in this direction. As a company, we preferred to emphasize the differences to protect our brand integrity rather than adaptation to our location. As I mentioned before, we prioritize being sales-oriented due to our brand reputation. When we were discussing the new store design with our architect, I wanted only one thing: I wanted to see a concept of London Harrods in this store. Our architect also developed a different strategy based on the fact that we are an old company. As a result of this, I think we have brought a different interpretation to the classical optician concept consisting of white shelves with uniform, yellow led lights. Since we moved to our store, we have been receiving very, very positive comments and feedback from our local and especially foreign customers.
How would you evaluate Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, which will be held for the 10th time with its new and larger service area, from the beginning to today?
Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair is really a very important organization. Unfortunately, our sector has a structure with different groupings that are not well organized today. At this point, Silmo Istanbul is an important platform that brings together all opticians in Turkey through suppliers. In addition to being informed about developments of abroad, it is a source of benefit and happiness to exchange ideas with colleagues from different provinces that you meet during booth visits.
Thank you very much for this valuable interview. Finally, could you tell us your comments on the transition of our magazine 4 youreyes to digital publishing?
It is an important project that needs to happen today, that needs to be analyzed very precisely and its continuity needs to be ensured. I believe that digital publication will be very useful for 4 your eyes magazine to reach more audiences and renew itself. In this way, I think that the opticianry profession and the eyewear sector will have a structure that can be measured and planned data collection with technical market research.

November 2023

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Interview

Philipp Plein

Posted on by Emre Özden

Redefines Luxury

Philipp Plein offers luxury eyewear that resembles jewelry with its design, details and high quality as a result of its collaboration with De Rigo.

Founded by German fashion designer Philipp Plein, the luxury brand continues to gain worldwide acclaim for its distinctive, high quality and unique products. With its collaboration with De Rigo, Philipp Plein has proven that it is also assertive in eyewear fashion with its rapid global rise. We interview Philipp Plein, the brand’s Founder and Creative Director, about his successful De Rigo partnership, the inspirations behind his designs, the features of eyewear collections and the future goals of the brand.

You founded your brand when you were only 20 years old. What motivated you the most for this bold initiative? Could we say that you realized all of your dreams at that time when you look back from today?
Well, we have just started actually. We are expanding the brand and we started with eyewear business two years ago together with De Rigo. This partnership has been a big global success. We are very excited about this partnership with De Rigo, because it gave us the opportunity to bring our brand into a new market of optical frames and sunglasses, where we were not presented before. So as you can imagine, we have just started to expand in many new markets with new product categories. For instance, we now have also watch business, which is new to us, hotel business and now the next step will be also opening the restaurant, which we are starting from next year in Milano, and yes many more dreams are yet to come.

What does the fashion industry mean to you as a designer who has achieved great success?
Fashion is something, which never stops. Fashion is always moving very fast and changing. Fashion lives some changes. We are here to adapt ourselves. Our society is changing, our clients are changing, and the fashion is changing too. So, its something, which is very fluent and very fast.

You create collections for many product groups. Are your sources of inspiration constantly changing? What encourages you the most to design?
I always find inspiration from everywhere. You just have to be ready to led the inspiration come to you. A lot of people think that they have to travel to foreign places, but that’s not true. You get the inspiration whenever you are ready to be inspired and you can get inspired by anything. It can be a beautiful dinner or a meal, it can be just walking on the street. You can find inspiration all over the place. Inspiration is all around us.

Compared to your other products, does eyewear design require different qualities?
Yes, if you want to have a success in this business, first of all you have to learn how to translate your brand into a pair of eyewear. Eyewear design does not give you so much space. If you design a dress or a t- shirt, you have a lot of space to explore and to put your prints or designs on it. But with eyewear we have a speacial product here. It is very defined and you have to be very precise. Then of course design has to follow function and this is very important. We have to design a product, which is wearable. Because you can may be wear crazy dress, but if you put something straight in your face you have to have the comfort, the functionality and never forget it is on your face. People are very particular when it comes to their face. So designing eyewear is a really challenge, but I think we did something very well. Because we have a product, which is definitely different than the most of the other products in the market, so it stands out.

What are the main features that distinguish a pair of Philipp Plein eyewear from others?
You can just look at the details. The logo is on everywhere in small spaces. There is small logos inside the temple. Its all in the details and a pair of Philipp Plein eyewear is like a piece of jewelery. It is not even anymore just a a pair of shades, it is a piece of jewelery. When you look at the everything of a pair of Philipp Plein eyewear, you can find these features. It is really something special and of course the quality is outstanding. Because we are working with best of the best, with our partner De Rigo. We have the the best suppliers and manufacturers in the world.

You entered the eyewear industry with your collaboration with De Rigo. Could you tell us about the reasons of this choise?
De Rigo is one of the four big players in the market. De Rigo is a family company, which is very traditional and successful in what they do since many years and it is all about their approach and also the fact that they have the quality and understanding of quality which is very necessary to design outstanding eyewear. Because you can find beautiful product, but then the quality is not the same. This is why we decided to go company, which has all these features, and De Rigo definitely fullfills this. We can may be deliver the design but then you have to have right people to execute it. This is what we have with De Rigo. It is hard to find something at the moment, which is better and higher in terms of quality and design than the a pair of Philipp Plein eyewear. De Rigo also understood the vision, and applied the best the price positioning.

Yakın zamanda De Rigo ile Plein Sport markanıza ait gözlükler için de küresel bir lisans anlaşması imzaladınız. Plein Sport koleksiyonunu ne zaman piyasada görebileceğiz? Nasıl bir koleksiyon olacak?
Plein Sport çok ilginç bir proje, çünkü Philipp Plein Eyewear’dan tamamen farklı. Çok daha ticari bir yaklaşıma sahip ve çok daha geniş bir dağıtıma odaklanacak. Tasarım açısından daha demokratik. Spor bir marka ve konumlandırma açısından Oakley’e daha yakın olabilir. Koleksiyon bu yılın sonunda, gelecek yılın başında piyasaya çıkacak. Yani 2024’ün ilk çeyreğinde Plein Sport gözlük koleksiyonunu piyasaya süreceğiz ve bu bizim için çok heyecan verici. Çünkü Plein Sport markalaşma, logolar gibi özellikler açısından tamamen farklı bir proje, markanın Dna’sı kesinlikle farklı. Teknik olarak hafif çerçevelerimiz, spor çerçevelerimiz, koşmak için çerçevelerimiz, bisiklete binmek için çerçevelerimiz ve tabii ki günlük kullanım için çerçevelerimiz var. Ancak hepsine baktığımızda, işlevin en üstte olduğunu söylemeliyim.

Kasım 2023

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Interview

MARKUS T

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

Celebrating 25th Year

Markus T, one of Germany’s leading eyewear brands, celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary with a striking advertising campaign called 100 Seasons.

German eyewear brand Markus T is driven by an extraordinary passion for eyewear and design with technical excellence. Known as the ‘Master of Titanium’, the independent brand is constantly challenging the status quo with new technologies developed in-house. The innovative brand owes its more than forty design awards to this constant quest for progress and modernization. Markus Temming, the brand’s Founder and Creative Director, launched his first collection of titanium frames in 1999. In addition to titanium, the designer uses his proprietary material TMi, a special polyamide. After several years of research and development, TMi has become one of the lightest yet strongest polyamides among the plastic materials used in eyewear production. At 3.7 grams, Markus T frames with the combination of titanium and TMi material are absolutely lightweight. Markus Temming continues to have full control over the creative vision and product development of his brand. In addition to developing forward-looking technologies such as dyeing processes or patented and screwless connectors, sustainable production and the smallest possible ecological footprint are his and his team’s most fundamental mission. Here is an interview with Markus Temming, Founder of Markus T, who this year celebrated his brand’s twenty-fifth anniversary with the visually and design stunning campaign 100 Seasons.

Hi Markus. First of all, I would like to congratulate you for your 100 Seasons campaign, which attracted a great deal of attention. What is the reason for celebrating our twenty-fifth anniversary with this campaign?
In all industries, the twenty-fifth anniversary may represent a silver jubilee, but just calling it a silver jubilee didn’t really align with our values at Markus T. For this reason, we presented our 100 Seasons campaign, which refers to a hundred seasons, inspired by the spring, summer, fall and winter seasons that we have spent twenty-five times in twenty-five years.

What is the main message of your campaign and how do you convey this message in your campaign?
With our campaign 100 Seasons, it was our greatest wish to celebrate our birthday not just on a single day, but throughout the whole year 2023. In this twenty-five-year journey, we wanted to convey the message of how valuable our employees are to us. For this reason, we shot the 100 Seasons campaign in our own factory using our employees who have been with us for many years as models. We selected the most original ones among eight hundred almost unretouched photographs. Our campaign images will continue to be featured as black and white portraits on our website, social media, trade fair stands and PoS materials throughout the year.

Let’s take a quick look at the twenty-five-year history of your company. What do you think are your biggest milestones?
I would say that we have indeed reached many major milestones over the years. First of all, arguably one of the most important events in Markus T’s history was the ‘birth’ in 1998 with the development of Design Classic, a collection that is still in our portfolio today. Our collections, customer base, patents, design awards and headcount have grown steadily to the point where we need more space. This coincides with our move to the glass factory in Gütersloh-Isselhorst, which made 2016 another important milestone. It was a very bumpy and emotional project, often pushing the boundaries of what was feasible. Looking back, it was a very exciting time and the result is something we are very proud of.

Which materials and technologies do you think best represent Markus T?
At Markus T we rely heavily on the highest quality titanium and our proprietary lightweight plastic TMi. We have proven our expertise in both materials, from raw materials to the forming process and coloring. We perfect every step in the production process until it works exactly as we want it to. This is how we developed the patented titanium coloring process MSC in 2014, for example – a highly complex process that is still surprising us and our customers years later. MSC is the process of coating the metal with a protective oxide layer.

You create a remarkable impact in the sector with your designs. And how do you achieve this?
Yes, this is true. We want people to be able to recognize our glasses as soon as they see them, even if there is no label on the frame showing the brand. By focusing on this basic goal, we take care to use the design language that we have created uniquely for ourselves. Obviously, our frames show themselves to the users in a very ideal way. Happily, we often hear from people around us and at trade fairs that Markus T users recognize each other. I would also say that one of the reasons we stand out is that we are actively working to bring the technology to the forefront rather than hiding it.

With your new 100 Seasons campaign, we also see that you have moved away from the classic Markus T style. What are the things that have changed at Markus T?
In our twenty-fifth year, we consciously want to experiment with designs outside of what is typical for Markus T. Take for example our anniversary collection, which we raffled off at trade fairs as part of a social media campaign. As I mentioned before, we were inspired by the four seasons for our anniversary slogan. You can see the new titanium frames in the collection, carefully laser-cut. In the collection, for example, we added floral details for the spring frame. We will continue such creative experimentation throughout the year and will also include spontaneous ideas that we did not plan in advance.

So you are not fundamentally renewing your brand identity?
No, our innovative approach to these creative experiments that we have done and will do does not mean that we are turning our backs on who we are. Markus T is always open to new ideas. And this year we have chosen to be bolder and more experimental, deliberately avoiding the ‘ifs and buts’. With twenty-five years of experience, we believe it is natural to focus on innovation without changing our brand identity. ‘Achieving excellence by reducing excess’ still represents the first of our guiding principles. As Markus T, we are aware that a brand should act in accordance with its Dna even when changing direction. The genes of our Dna consist of three basic characteristics: Simple. Beautiful. Intelligent.

Could you tell us about the current state of Markus T and where it is heading?
First of all, we would like to re-emphasize that we are always changing and this is part of our Dna. This change does not mean that we blindly follow every trend. On the contrary, it means that we respond to the needs of opticians. This kind of flexibility is only possible because we manufacture our own products here in Gütersloh-Isselhorst in Germany. As a result, we have direct control over the quality of our products.

What are your favorite models from your highly acclaimed Dot Mono collection and what are their features?
What makes our popular Dot Mono collection really special is the unique hinge technology. I would like to mention three of our standout models from the collection. Although they are part of the Dot Mono collection, they also stand on their own in a way. I think the two-dimensional design of the fronts looks very cool in their simple profile. So cool that I use them myself. The shade of the rose gold 24-carat PVD coating really highlights the design and gives the frames a kind of special and elegant golden shimmer. This golden shimmer impression is inspired by the warm days we are already starting to miss. The subtle rose gold color of the satin titanium surface gives the normally technical Dot bezel a softer character and evokes summer.

What other surprises await us this year?
As a matter of fact, you may ask what you will surprise yourself with this year. Because, as I mentioned, this year is not based on our rigid planning and we will be guided by our very special and innovative ideas. We act in a spontaneous, creative and flexible way. Aware of what our strengths are, we move forward confidently and comfortably with new designs. That’s why we are as excited as you are.

 

Source: Favrspecs

October 2023

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Wholesaler Interview

Ademur Optik

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

Ademur Optik

Promises Quality and Comfort

“We are excited to be exhibiting our brands for the first time this year at Silmo Istanbul.”

Hello Mr. İlker… Could you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us about how you decided to enter the optical sector?
Since the optical sector is a profession that constantly improves itself, focuses on human health and directly affects the quality of life, I have been working in this sector since 1999 with the motivation of what I can put on it with the same excitement every day. After working for many years in the wholesale and retail departments of the important companies of the sector, I have been trying to be useful with all my equipment to realize our development goals for the sector under the roof of Ademur Optik since 2020.

With what goals and objectives did you decide to establish your company?
Ademur Optik is a company established in 2012 with 100% domestic capital, aiming to operate in every field of the optical sector, growing with fast and confident steps. We have two special brands, Original Vintage Sunglasses and Nano Vista, which we distribute together with our own brand Roysse. They are delivered to the consumers through exclusive optical stores in our country.

Could you tell us about your brands, technical specifications and customer profile?
As Ademur Optik, we are bringing our products together with our suppliers as the distributor of Nano Vista and Orginal Vintage Sunglases brands in Turkey at Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, where we will be exhibiting for the first time this year. Nano Vista is an eco-friendly brand that aims for glasses to adapt to children instead of children adapting to glasses, allowing children to live comfortably with their glasses without setting rules and without fear of breaking them. We care a lot about sustainability, so we bring together the world’s most durable baby/child/teen (0/14 years) collection with our suppliers. All products are made of Siliflex material. Therefore, they are super flexible and very resistant to breakage. The Nano Glow series has glow-in-the-dark arms, making it easy for your child to find their glasses when they wake up at night and increases safety by making your child more noticeable in low light conditions at night. Nano Clip On series can be used with two different band options. This allows children to carry out all their daily activities with a single pair of glasses. Clip on sunglasses have UV 400 protected Polarized lens + Blue Block lens with full protection. Original Vintage Sunglasses is the original Italian brand that adapts the iconic designs of the past to the present, with extraordinary models, unique handmade craftsmanship and premium materials. For all models, orders can be created by selecting lens and frame combinations. Products can be completely personalized with rich accessory options. The collections include designs that bring together the past and the present.

What are your sales and after sales services?
We offer uninterrupted service for all the brands we distribute through our online wholesale website b2b.ademuroptik.com, where our dealers can be reached 24/7 from anywhere in Turkey, create fast orders in the comfort of the store, supply spare parts, check their current accounts and make payments safely whenever they want. In addition, we attach importance to providing fast feedback by identifying deficiencies and needs on the spot by establishing one-to-one communication with our dealers through our placers who visit the optical stores in Turkey region by region.

What are your comments on the present and future of the Turkish optical sector?
The optical sector in Turkey offers great opportunities and a bright perspective for the future. New technological developments, innovations and online sales platforms are accelerating the growth of the sector and increasing its capacity to provide better service to customers. In the future, the optical industry is expected to pay more attention to innovations focused on sustainability, personalization and health.

 

What can you say about 2023-2024 trends in optics and sunglasses?
Digital blue light protection technologies are the most prominent trends in the optical and sunglasses industry for 2023-2024. At the same time, sustainability and the use of recyclable materials are on the rise.  Especially in summer, frames in vibrant and fun colors are preferred. Geometric designs and sharp lines are also trending.

You are among the exhibitors of Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, which will be held on November 23-26, 2023. What are your expectations from fairs? How would you evaluate the ten-year process of Silmo Istanbul?
We are very excited to be exhibiting in Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair for the first time this year. Such international fairs are excellent opportunities to follow developments in the industry, make new business contacts and showcase our products. Ten years of Silmo Istanbul is a great success in supporting developments in the optical industry and bringing together stakeholders in this field. Such events are important for contributing to the growth of the industry and providing innovative solutions.

What are your views on our magazine 4 your eyes, which has started to publish digitally?
Digitalization is of great importance in the optical industry as it is in every sector today.  This innovation of 4 your eyes will make a significant contribution to the digitalization process of the sector. This is an important opportunity for the optical sector to reach more people and raise awareness in the sector.

October 2023

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Sales Point

Bebek Optik

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

Bebek Optik
Luxury and Quality in One

“Thanks to Silmo Istanbul, in addition to discovering new brands and products, I enjoy meeting my colleagues and discussing the future of the industry with them.”

Hello Mrs. Burcu, first of all, could you introduce yourself a little bit and tell us about how your path crossed with the optical sector?
I was born in 1978 and I am a mother of 3 children. I started my business life by designing jewelry. My husband has been doing this profession for 35 years. At first, I found it very enjoyable to visit my husband and choose sunglasses suitable for the wearer’s face… Afterwards, my visits turned into a 9am-7pm shift. I worked with my husband for about 10 years. Later, I realized more clearly that this profession is not about making sales, but that the eye is the most important limb of human life and I wanted to learn every fine detail. At the age of 40, I studied at university. I received my optician diploma. I combined all the knowledge I learned at school with my profession in order to do my profession correctly and healthily. Reading the correct prescription, noticing the prescriptions that are rarely written incorrectly, and at the same time ensuring that the users who come to my store with eye defects can be guided correctly is the most sensitive point of my profession.

How did you decide to open your store? Could you tell us about your establishment phase?
Our store is in its 4th year. We took over a previously existing store. I work as both the responsible manager and the business manager of this store. My bosses are Yağmur and Sabri Sarıoğlu family. We established this store together and we continue to renew it every year.

Do you have products from every group in your store?
Of course, there are lower segment products in our store, but there are also upper group and design boutique brands, and every year the requests of my customers, current trend models and noname design products are added to our store. The fact that we have a wide variety of products due to our location meets the demands of our customers at a higher rate, which is of course reflected in the increase in sales rates.

What are the most sold optical and sunglasses brands in your store?
Sales of every trendy brand and model are continuous. In general, since I am also in the Bebek neighborhood, the upper group sales are high. Gucci, YSL, Mykita, Serengeti, Bottega Veneta are the top brands in optics and sunglasses, followed by Rayban, Prada, Miu Miu.

How do you choose the optical and sunglasses brands you sell?
My store is located in Bebek, one of the most prestigious and most visited areas of Istanbul, which has a changing profile of people. For this reason, I prefer current products that follow the trend for my Bebek customers who are permanent residents and for my customers who will come from outside. Also, the people here really like the products that have a design and a different line that no one else has. That is why we also choose limited edition products. We can appeal to every customer who comes to our store. I believe that we have succeeded in changing the perception of “Bebek neighborhood is luxurious, prices are very high” in people’s minds with proportional prices in the product scale.

Designer brands are very popular in recent years. Do you also receive requests from your customers in this direction?
In our store, we give more space to design products as well as current new season trend products. Seeing that people feel comfortable and different when they look in the mirror when they wear a design product and the happiness on their face, knowing that not everyone will see the product they buy, directs us to boutique brands and design products.

What are your after sales services?
Depending on the customer’s request, our glasses are sold in our store in the best and healthy way with the right products guaranteed. After-sales repair, adjustment and maintenance products are free of charge. We also provide free adjustment repair service even if the customer has bought a product from another optic. We offer the right to cancel the return up to 15 days if the product he bought does not fit him.

How do you inform your customers about changes and campaigns in your store?
We have an active Instagram account. Also, our store does not make its discounts according to the season. We sell the product on the label at the beginning of the summer season and do not discount it at the end of the season. We think this is unfair to our customers. Think of it like this, you buy an X brand at the label price, you come back 3 months later and the product you bought is on sale for half the price. This situation creates sadness and regret in the customer. That’s why we always apply the maximum discount we can make at the end of the season. This makes us preferred in our region. Also, our website will be launched after the new year. Additional discounts special for the first user, sales close to the cost of the products left over from a few seasons ago will enable us to reach people more easily.

What role do you think the window layout and interior design of an optical store play in sales? What did you consider when preparing these elements?
The showcase of a store gives the whole impression about that store. You first look at the showcase and if you like it, you go inside. This is the same in every sector. If you don’t like the showcase, if you don’t find it of good quality, you won’t be curious about the inside of a store. I display products in the showcase that are clean, easy to choose, will arouse curiosity and make the customer go inside. We have a bright store where each brand has its own place in the interior design. The customer should be able to easily choose the brand and model they want. It is important for the customer to be able to easily see what they are trying on in the mirrors at the point of movement in terms of comfort and saving time. In addition, since the continuation of the brands are exhibited in the drawers under the brands of the stands, it is easy and comfortable to choose in that order.

As someone who serves in the sector, what do you think about the rate and awareness of eyeglass use in our country? What can be done to increase the use of eyeglasses and who has a duty?
I have been serving in this sector for twenty years and I see that people still use glasses unconsciously, although not as much as before. Someone who cannot read near can say that they can read with my mother’s father’s glasses without any examination. Or someone who is bored with glasses wants to wear contact lenses by heart, and contact lenses are never sold in our store without a prescription. As an optician, I convey the necessary information to my customers about the disadvantages of this. There are also sunglasses bought from clothing stores or the market because they are cheap. Of course, I often share the damage they cause to the eye on our Instagram account. One thing I have noticed is that the misuse of glasses in the old times has decreased nowadays. I think the advancement of technology and social media providing accurate information has reduced this rate a lot.

Now, the awareness of getting comfortable vision and using a healthy product with the right product at the right time is widespread, not just because it is fashionable or to look more beautiful. Social media is the right address to emphasize the accuracy and importance of this in terms of health.

Do you follow international optical fairs and sectoral developments abroad?
It is very important to have information for the upcoming season at fairs abroad. We follow them closely. At least we can follow the trends about what we will sell in the season. In addition, the sector is developing very fast. We can learn about new lenses, coatings, new trend brands and developments in contact lenses at fairs.

What are your opinions and evaluations about Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair?
I have been following Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair with excitement for years. In addition to the new season products, I enjoy meeting with my colleagues in such an area, chatting, discussing the development of our profession and doing this hosted by Silmo Istanbul.

Could we learn your opinions about 4 your eyes, which started to be published in digitally?
Your magazine 4 your eyes is the first source of information that I have been reading and reviewing with pleasure in our store for years and sometimes the first source of information that I learn about a missing information. Now that it is on social media and digital media, it allows me to access it more easily. Thanks to you, I can follow the sectoral innovations and reach the information of my new colleagues and their stores.

October 2023

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Interview

Face á Face

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

Power of Expression

Face á Face, the French designer brand known for its passionately crafted series, is inspired by the Memphis style, which breaks all codes and values the power of expression more than functionality.

Independent eyewear brands always inspire with their special stories. Because usually the companies are a bit smaller and the founders are still actively on the board. This is also the case with the French brand Face á Face. In the 90s, founders Pascal Jaulent and Nadine Roth wanted to create a modern and creative company that didn’t have to follow a predefined mold. This particular positioning, which is immediately apparent when looking at the product range, is no coincidence. Indeed, designer Pascal Jaulent, the creative brain behind the French designer brand, has his own sense of life. The resulting special perspectives on life have a strong influence on the brand. Pascal Jaulent has always had a keen interest in social issues or ethnology and actually wanted to become an urban planner. This is how he creates his designs, combining architecture and art themes. Face á Face describes itself as a chic, French and colorful high-end brand. It is no coincidence that Face á Face’s frames are developed in its own design studio. The designs resemble small, thin architectural pieces that constantly reinterpret volumes, shapes, materials and textures. Once the design language that defines Face á Face is understood, the French company’s eyewear becomes easily recognizable. After all, isn’t it the unique design language that truly defines a great designer brand, rather than fancy oversized logos? Face á Face, a premium French designer brand long known for its passionately and meticulously designed collections, has taken this attitude and turned it into a concrete motto in its new collections. The combination and interconnectedness of colors and sculptural shapes is done in Memphis style. The Parisian designers are inspired by the radical art movement of the 80s, which turned the minimalism of the time on its head. Here is an interview with Marianne Dèzes from the Face á Face Design Lab about how the Memphis style has influenced the brand’s models.

Hi Marianne, where does your love for the Memphis style come from?
The father of my Italian boyfriend, in the old days, lived in an Italian villa full of Memphis masterpieces – a crazy house! When we saw the “Memphis” exhibition in Beaubourg Museum in Paris, we rediscovered the Memphis roots and its fascinating “beautiful-ugly” atmosphere.

What are the main distinguishing features of this art movement?
Memphis is a maximalist stance against the design approach of the time, which was obsessed with minimalism and modern aesthetics. The color palette of the Pop Art movement, the geometric figures of Art Deco and the unusual aesthetics of the 1950s kitsch phenomenon inspired this movement. We can say that Memphis creates a pattern shock in reaction to the rational-minimalist dictatorship of those times. It is nonconformist, breaks all codes and values the power of expression much more than functionality.

The Memphis style is the counter-design to “form follows function” or “less is more”. Weren’t you always very close to this style with your design orientation anyway?
You could say so, but like all designers, we used to have some “rules of good taste,” such as not mixing strong patterns. However Memphis shock pushed us to try new ways to break our own rules.

The founder of the Memphis movement, Ettore Sottsass, once said “design begins where rational processes end, and those of magic start.” Does this attitude also apply to your eyewear design?
We are very much looking for this emotion as a way to validate our designs. When you like something at first sight, and you cannot explain why, you can be sure you are dealing with a strong aesthetic emotion, and that is a very exciting moment.

Which color worlds do we find in the new collections?
We enjoyed working on new purple and green combinations, black and white patterns with vivid colors, a mix of 80s and 70s colors, and daring big contrasts. We hope that you will like them.

Is there a focus on specific materials in the new collections?
Not really. It is more the art of recombining things, exploring new contrasts, but also new shades, such as duck green with smoked transparencies, deep violet shading, and burnt oranges. So maybe a spreading of 70s color in the air.

With your new collections, you appeal to the irrational and the unconventional. Which designs are special to you?
The Calder model has a titanium voluminous spiral that goes around the eyes. This concept gives a great sense of freedom and the frame seems to have been made in a single movement. But the great technical development behind it goes unnoticed. That’s why Calder is special to me. Also Gioco, which means “Play” in Italian, is one of my favorites because it evokes the playful spirit of Memphis’ basic shapes and colors. The Novva sunglasses are sophisticated and bold with sculptures, contrasts and rich transparencies.

How would you summarize the influence of Memphis on your designs?
Memphis’ theme of “elementary plays” definitely inspired us. We were looking for something between “naive childhood” and ” connoisseur knowledge” and we found it in the Memphis style.

Source: Favrspecs

September 2023

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Sales Point

Dita Optik Lens

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

Dita Optik Lens
Eyewear Passion

Silmo Istanbul offers an ideal opportunity to see many brands and products together. It also gives us the chance to meet and chat with our colleagues again.

Hello Mr. Tarık. First of all, could you introduce yourself a little and tell us about how your path crossed with the optical sector?
Hello, I was born in Istanbul in 1980. In 2006, I graduated from Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University Opticianry Department and received my optician license. My uncle İbrahim İnanç was instrumental in me starting my profession and getting interested in this profession. He is the first eyeglass case manufacturer in Turkey. It was thanks to him that I first saw the production of eyeglass cases and their stages during the school holidays. I also had the chance to get to know different optical stores while delivering the glasses cases to the these stores. Therefore, during the summer vacation of 1995, I wanted to work at Karizma Optik and Saat store in Nişantaşı. Although this store sells both optics and watches, I was more interested in the optical aspect. I think this first official step into the profession contributed greatly to my self-confidence and experience.

How did you decide to open your store? How many stores do you have? Could you tell us about the vision and goals with which you opened your store?
We opened our first store in 2000 with my brothers who entered the optical sector before me. We expanded this store with two branches we opened in 2002. However, in 2004, we came to a turning point and parted our commercial ways as brothers. I took over a well-established optical store in the historical Galata district of Istanbul in the same year and laid the foundations of our current store Dita Optik. Then I opened our second branch named Dita Gözlük Aşkı. The second branch was followed by the store named Dita Optik Pera, which we opened this year. Although our stores are located in historical and close neighborhoods of Istanbul, we wanted to give our branches different names because they have different concepts. While opening our stores with my wife Dilek Taşgın, who is also an optician, our main mission was to offer the most accurate and most suitable products for our customers without compromising the ethical rules in sales. With this goal in mind, we continue to offer quality products and quality lenses to our customers.

Your newly opened store is located in a place frequented by tourists. Could you tell us about the advantages and disadvantages of serving tourists?
Our newly opened store is located in a location frequented by local and foreign tourists. However, I would like to state here that all our customers are very valuable to us, regardless of whether they are local or foreign. We have the chance to meet with people from all over the world in our stores.

Do you have products from every group in your store? How do you choose the optical and sunglasses brands you will sell?
We have products from every group in our store. Especially in the optical service, we advise our customers to take their time, see the options and make a decision by getting the right information from us. We are also selective when choosing products for our store. We try to choose quality, proper and long-lasting products. When we sell glasses, we are not only selling glasses, we are also selling an important accessory. When we show the right options, the happiness of our customers makes us even happier.

What are the most sold optical and sunglasses brands in your store?
In our store, we bring together the products of Doğan Optik, Atölye Optik, Safilo, Derigo, Luxottica, Ata Optik, Elite Optik and many distributors with our customers. Our customers can access countless brands and models from our store.

Designer brands are very popular in recent years. Do you also receive requests from your customers in this direction?
The fact that our stores are located in museums, historical palaces and architectural monuments, where art is prominent and art events are organized, guides our product choices. Most of our customers are people who know what to buy and come with brand and model information. Recently, we have been observing a trend towards designer brands. Based on this, we also include designer brands in our stores.

How do you inform your customers about changes and campaigns in your store?
Today, people prefer to access information about your store via the internet and social media. We think that advertising and correct expression are important in these channels and we attach importance to this issue. We also inform our customers from time to time with the optical program we use and SMS.

As a retailer, what are your views on the price competition between you and your colleagues?
When you value your customers and find the right product with a proper explanation, your customers will not look for other places. Eyewear business is a business of trust. People should trust you. The customer can catch this with your stance, your expression and the atmosphere of your store. I am always busy with the question of how I can make my store better. I do not follow the price policy of the stores near me. When you do your job right, people do not look for other places.

As someone who serves the sector, what do you think about the rate and awareness of eyeglass use in our country? What can be done to increase the use of eyeglasses and who has a duty?
Although eye surgeries have increased with the developing technology, I think that the use of prescription glasses will continue regardless. Today, sales of sunglasses have increased with laser surgeries and this is a positive development for us. However, if we make people love glasses by giving them beautiful glasses and aesthetic designs, we can turn them away from the desire to have laser surgery. I think that if we adopt the view that glasses are not only a means of vision but also an accessory as all colleagues, we can sell more than one pair of glasses to our customers with this awareness. Lens companies should organize seminars in hospitals and eye polyclinics to inform ophthalmologists about the developing technology. I believe this will make a positive contribution to our profession.

Do you follow international optical fairs and sectoral developments abroad?
We had the chance to visit the Mido fair in Milan among the fairs abroad. We will participate in fairs abroad again. Silmo Paris visit is also in our plans. I think fairs are very useful to see sectoral developments closely. I especially recommend every colleague to visit all the fairs.

What are your opinions and evaluations about Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair held between December 17-20, 2022?
This valuable fair held in our country took place with a nice intensity. The sector came together for four days with the fair atmosphere that everyone missed. Silmo Istanbul offers an ideal opportunity to see many brands and products together. It also offers the chance to meet and chat with our colleagues and many professionals again. We look forward to coming together again at Silmo Istanbul 2023.

Could we learn your views on 4 your eyes, which started to be published digitally as of 2023?
Although we are a little sad that we cannot bring 4 your eyes magazine, which we have been looking forward to coming to our stores every month for years, together with our customers during their shopping, it is very important and pleasing for us that your magazine reaches a wider audience thanks to digital publication. Thank you for your quality news, efforts and this interview.

September 2023

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Sales Point

Taşkın Gözlük Galerisi Optik

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

Taşkın Gözlük Galerisi Optik
New & Bold

Silmo Istanbul 2022 was to the full for us. We are very pleased that the fair area will be expanded in 2023 as there is a great deal of interest. We look forward to discovering new models and brands.

Hello Mr. Taşkın. First of all, could you introduce yourself a little and tell us about how your path crossed with the optical sector?
I was born in Istanbul, Ortaköy in 1985. After completing my education, I worked as a manager in the food and beverage and entertainment sector for many years. My management life continued until 2019. In 2020, I opened my own store by entering the optical sector.

How did you decide to open your store? Could you tell us about the vision and goals you opened your store with?
Glasses have always been one of the indispensable parts of my style. The need for an innovative, up-to-date store with a different line in the region we live in had already existed for years, and I liked to follow the current models by participating in the national & international fair visits of my friends in the sector. During the pandemic period, I had the chance to take a step into the optical sector by turning the decline of the entertainment sector into an opportunity.

Do you have products from every group in your store? How do you choose the brands of optics and sunglasses you will sell?
When you enter the store, you can find the newest, most beautiful optical and sunglasses models as well as the most classic, indispensable, ageless models of all kinds and at every budget. Since we travel abroad not only during fair periods but also in all seasons, we have the chance to analyze the options in the world better and lead the way.

What are the most popular brands of optical and sunglasses sold in your store?
We had the chance to showcase the most popular models and brands recently, which makes fashion brands stand out. In addition to giants such as Prada, Tom Ford, Versace, Dolce&Gabbana, boutique brands that we like more find buyers.

Designer brands are very popular in recent years. Do you also receive this kind of demand from your customers?
We can easily say that our customers are interested in and demand designer brands. I can say that the desire to be different, extraordinary and iconic is a situation we encounter in many people. For this reason, we give brands with a style difference and a different perspective a chance to take place on our shelves.

What are your after sales services?
Apart from mediating with the service we provide within the scope of the warranty of the product groups, we have a very assertive technical team for the repair of any defective product. Like everything touched by a woman’s hand, I have a team that makes even a discarded pair of glasses brand new, restoration, maintenance, lens renewal.

How do you inform your customers about changes and campaigns in your store?
We are an active brand on social media. Sometimes we share special day campaigns with our customers on our pages and via SMS.

What role do you think the window layout and interior design of an optical store play in sales? What did you pay attention to while preparing these elements?
We try to display every product that is wanted, wanted to be seen and wondered. We organize our shelves in such a way that our guests can easily try and leave them. In this way, we ensure that they can easily access the products they like and make their shopping comfortable and enjoyable.

As a retailer, what are your views on the price competition between you and your colleagues?
In terms of pricing, we are in favor of offering quality service without reducing the value of the products in the market conditions by complying with the sales prices recommended by the companies. There is also such an issue that the prices we hear from customers and see on the internet unfortunately upset us. In order to prevent this, I think that companies should apply sanctions on this issue. In other words, a product should be sold according to its value. The factor that distinguishes us from our competitors is our service quality.

As someone who serves in the sector, what do you think about the rate and awareness of eyeglass use in our country? What can be done to increase the use of glasses and who has a duty?
I observe that the awareness of eyeglasses is increasing day by day. While we used to tell only us, it is very promising to see that there are now conscious users who know what they want. As opticians, we need to explain the lens features to our customers without getting bored. We should recommend glasses and lenses according to the purpose of the user.

Do you follow international optical fairs and sectoral developments abroad?
We went to all the fairs after the pandemic. During our travels abroad at different times, observing what kind of products people outside our country prefer made important contributions to our vision and we developed our collections accordingly. Following every new development was both enjoyable and opened our horizons.

What are your opinions and evaluations about Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair held between December 17-20, 2022?
It was a very enjoyable fair. We were at Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair as Taşkın Gözlük Galerisi Optik. It was a full fair for us. Since we have many world brands in our store, we had the opportunity to visit the stands of boutique brands with much different designs and lines. We made agreements with new brands and added them to our organization. In 2023, we heard that the exhibition area will be built in a bigger area, and we think this is a very right decision. Since there is a lot of interest in Silmo Istanbul, we are very pleased to hear that the area will be expanded. We think that the fair will be even more beautiful in the coming years. We look forward to discovering new models and brands.

What are your views on 4 your eyes, which started to be broadcast digitally in 2023?
We are in the age of communication and using digital platforms to make use of this is a very right choice. It will be much more efficient to reach more than certain age groups. We believe that the service you offer to our sector is really valuable. As Taşkın Gözlük Galerisi Optik, we would like to thank 4 your eyes family and wish you continued success.

August 2023

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Wholesaler Interview

Mooshu

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

Mooshu

Sophisticated and Vintage

Silmo Istanbul creates wonderful circumstances where boutique companies like us can express themselves more effectively and accurately.

Hello Mr. Cinemre… Could you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us about how you decided to enter the optical sector?
Hello there. I am Kadir Cinemre, I was born in Istanbul, I graduated from Işık University Opticianry Department. I have been in the optical sector for about twenty years. Firstly, in 2006, I started to work in a lens company, which is a pioneer in its sector and a world brand, in order to specialize in the sales and marketing department. Then, in 2010, I continued as a brand sales manager in a company that is a distributor of world brands in the frame department. The variability of the optical sector and its proximity to fashion were the factors that brought me closest to this sector. I think it is a sector that is very open to innovation and we can add a lot to it.

With which aims and objectives did you decide to establish your company?
I met the optical sector in 2006. I worked in different positions in every part of the sector. I worked as a sales manager of different brands in different companies. I was constantly intertwined with brands in lens, frame, wholesale and retail departments. Afterwards, with my vintage curiosity, I rolled up my sleeves to prepare retro glasses for the coming years. After mastering many areas of the sector, I focused on production in line with my goals. The idea of creating local and handmade products with retro lines led me to a very exciting start.

Could you tell us about the Mooshu brand, its customer profile and technical features?
Mooshu brand was born as a 100% Turkish brand from design to production. The name meaning of the brand comes from the word Men with the letter (M); that is, having hard and masculine lines, the letters (OO) represent glasses, (S)(H)(U) comes from the word SHE, which represents women in English; it represents women having curved and aesthetic lines. Ninety percent of our brand’s designs are unisex. It has sophisticated and vintage lines that both women and men can prefer. We attach importance to offering original designs as well as being useful. Our customer profile consists of users who expect comfort in light but flashy glasses with different designs. The most important principle of Mooshu brand is ‘if it’s not qualified, don’t make it’. Every single piece used in production is carefully designed. Each model is revised about five times before it is presented to the users. We keep working on it until we find perfection. All Mooshu models have screwless and weldless designs. We have an innovation-oriented dynamic. We put a lot of effort into improving our production systems, so we spend a lot of time on technological studies and R&D. We already use the technologies that the world offers as innovations in coating in Turkey. We produce long-lasting products with titanium coating.

We make the production of our lenses with our own color chart. All our lenses are anti-reflective coated and consist of PA lenses that provide a clear vision. Our products are cut and assembled with laser technologies. We work with a margin of error of one thousandth. This year we have added a bio-acetate series to our new collection. We offer the combination of acetate body and metal temples to our customers this year. Again, we tend to approach zero carbon consumption with products that are completely compatible with nature, all of which come out of our own workshop in Turkey. Our eyewear cases are made of vegan leather. We design and manufacture them in Turkey.

What are your sales and after sales services?
While we are constantly meeting with our sales team friends, we are actually looking for a partner for our dream. We determine our sales points accordingly. It is very important for us to protect our brand value. It is not our business just to sell products and make money. We spend our earnings, knowledge and values to move our brand forward. Since the production belongs to us, we do not have supply problems with our customers for any model or product. We prioritize the satisfaction of our customers and therefore their customers in terms of spare parts such as all kinds of lens, springs, hooks and terminals. Nobody wants to wait weeks for a spare part. We have to take our share from ourselves.

Which promotional and advertising activities do you use to increase your recognition in the sector?
We strive to use social media effectively in order to bring our brand to better points and make it a well-known and recognized brand. We aim to reach different audiences by collaborating with famous personalities. Influencer studies support us and optical stores to sell our products. The use of our products by well-known and recognized people gives confidence to our customers. Along with social media, we see that participation in optical fairs also provides us with a lot of benefits. We add a lot of innovations to our brand and experience in fairs with new optical stores, employees and young optician friends. At the same time, fairs are the gateway to the world market. This is our aim anyway. To be a world brand.

What are your comments on the present and future of the Turkish optical sector?
I think that the Turkish market has become a market that the world cannot ignore. Especially high value-added products like ours attract a lot of attention in Europe. There is an intense interest in Turkey. Increasing transportation costs and costs after the pandemic reduced interest in the Far East market. I think there is an intense interest in our country. We are preparing for the future by increasing our investments, R&D studies and capacity every year. I think that Turkish brands will soon be among the world brands and our vision will increase every year and add added value to our country.

What could you say about 2023 trends in optics and sunglasses?
Last year and a few seasons before, minimal eyewear were more popular. However this year, large and multi-colored models have become a trend. Large acetate models have been preferred recently. Pastel colors are at the top of the preferences. We prefer products in extraordinary colors and timeless lines in our Mooshu models. The aim here is to create the trend. Instead of presenting existing trends to our loyal customer base, we prefer to offer the trends we create.

You said that you exhibit in fairs… Do you get what you expect from fairs? How would you evaluate the ten-year process of Silmo Istanbul?
We have been exhibiting in Silmo Istanbul for two years and we leave with a smile on our faces after every fair. The new people we meet, dealers and industry followers from abroad open new doors for us. It creates wonderful circumstances where boutique companies like us can express themselves more effectively and accurately. The fact that Silmo Istanbul attracts great interest from abroad is a stepping stone for companies like us that are on their way to becoming a world brand. This year, we think that we will have a much more productive fair process for our sector in the new expanded space of Silmo Istanbul.

Our magazine has made another innovation and continues its publication life digitally. In this way, we establish a more effective and intense interaction. How would you interpret this innovation of 4 your eyes and its work on behalf of the optical industry?

As it is an up-to-date and dynamic magazine, we can find all the innovations in the sector under a single roof. I believe that the magazine is the only place for boutique companies like us to be heard by the whole sector. The fact that the magazine is online is a great innovation. Now everyone will be able to reach you, and therefore us, from anywhere. We can see from social media how important interaction is today. It is a great convenience to be able to interact with your magazine just a touch away in our pockets. We would like to thank the 4 your eyes team for bringing us to a wider audience with this innovation.

August 2023

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Interview

William Morris London

Posted on by Burcu Yıldız

A British Heritage

William Morris London, which carefully carries its British identity, embraces the optical world stronger than ever after joining Design Eyewear Group last year.

Since Design Eyewear Group added William Morris London to its portfolio in Fall 2022, the British brand was showcased for the first time under the umbrella of Design Eyewear Group (DEG) at 100% Optical in the UK. William Morris London’s philosophy and brand attributes are as strong now as when it was launched twenty-seven years ago. It is still a brand that listens, adapts and sets standards. Frequently winning and nominated for awards in the optical world, William Morris London continues to present its ever-evolving original designs with the meticulous effort it puts into each collection and the British pride that runs through its Dna. We present an interview with DEG Ceo Lars Flyholm and William Morris London Founder Robert Morris about how they will develop the brand range going forward.

What does William Morris London represent in terms of the DEG portfolio? What makes the British brand different?
Lars Flyvholm: Design Eyewear Group has been building a position in the market over the last years – which is really based around our design heritage, and up until this new merger, this was very much based on our Danish heritage and French design, like Prodesign, FACE A FACE and WOOW. We had a basis and structure which therefore allowed us to take on other brands and build further, and in this search for possible acquisitions we wanted to add something different. We wanted to find a way where there was another design story and heritage which we could add on to this. Britain has an inspiring design heritage and we were attracted by the idea of adding real, authentic British design to our portfolio. William Morris London is a perfect match in terms of adding to the story of being a company focused on design labels. If you look inside the William Morris London company and what Robert and his team have established I think it has a very strong, clear identity, built over many years. From a product point of view and when we look at our portfolio, it was also filling a gap for us in terms of design and price point particularly. We have nine brands already within Design Eyewear Group, all with different targets and price points. Robert has established a very strong presence in the UK market in terms of direct sales. And this matches our organisation and our footprint worldwide – we have a strong presence in the US, and we feel there is a big opportunity over there to penetrate that market with the William Morris London Collections. The same goes for other export markets.

Could you tell us about the advantages of this merger for DEG?
Lars Flyvholm: So to summarise the advantages, there were 4 key elements that made really good sense in this merger… We have added the British design heritage, via a brand that also has a very strong identity as William Morris London. We also added a product which fitted into our portfolio with the right price and target point. Finally, we identified a real growth opportunity in markets where Design Eyewear Group has already established a very strong presence.

Do you plan to preserve the collection portfolio as it is?
Lars Flyvholm: Yes, we will offer the core William Morris London collection and the luxury William Morris line – the Black Label. Alongside them, there is also the Gallery Collection, created in partnership with the William Morris Gallery. These are the three core collections with the strong British identity. Then there is also Charles Stone New York – which has a positioning that is young, fashionable and fresh and this we consider as a second brand. We have been working with Robert and his product team in the UK and our Danish team to look at where the opportunities are here for growth and expansion. Certainly, there are plans to expand the Gallery collection in the near future, with of course a sunglasses range, which has not yet been created within this brand. The Gallery collection will see a special mini launch in August as well as an additional launch for the collection in January 2024.

William Morris London was launched at 100% Optical in the UK for the first time since the merger with DEG. Could you tell us about what your UK customers think about this merger?
Robert Morris: Yes, this is the first time that opticians here in the UK have had an opportunity to see the two companies side by side which I think is really great, it’s important – and it’s great to see that when people look at it they can really see it makes sense. There have been some really interesting conversations at 100% Optical. There are plenty of independent opticians who are buying William Morris London who might not be working with FACE A FACE or Prodesign, so they are interested to hear how Design Eyewear Group can channel that business into their stores. And vice versa. It’s important also for them to see how Design Eyewear Group have created a number of concepts to help and support independent opticians which William Morris can now offer on a broader scale. Design Eyewear Group is a real partner to the optician.

Lars Flyvholm: We have some programmes for example where we offer the opticians ways to dedicate a part of their shop to our brands within the store. We can do this with a mix of our brands. There is a financial incentive within this board programme which allows them a one to one exchange so for example if you have 60 frames from 3 of our brands you will have a rep visiting you 4 times a year – and they will be able to exchange what is not selling and optimise the board. This flexibility – and of course the financial incentive – is something that we’ve had since 2020 at Design Eyewear Group and people find it really flexible and they love the chance it gives them to try new brands. Of course, the William Morris and Charles Stone brands are now included in this programme. We also offer a loyalty programme – we call it the Ambassador programme – where if you buy more or work with more brands your benefits increase. I would also add that we are lucky that we have had no issues at all since Brexit, given our infrastructure. Everything is running very well for us. Our logistics for all brands are run out of Denmark.

Could you tell us about William Moris London’s brand history and its current position?
Robert Morris: We started out as a distribution company in 1996 called William Morris Eyewear. It was from there, that we decided to create our own brand from scratch, and that was William Morris London. From there, we saw a further demand for a more luxurious product and so we created William Morris Black Label, with a more premium price point. Traditionally, I would say around 80% of our customers have taken both William Morris London and Charles Stone New York, but this can vary from practice to practice. 90% now take William Morris London and Black Label as part of that offer.

For William Morris London, British identity is very important and we see that you carefully protect this identity.  How did you create your identity?
Robert Morris: I think product is one thing, but what is so crucial to William Morris is everything around the frame, the whole “British world” in which the collection has grown up, and all the add-ons to that such as the carefully styled POS.. At the shows in particular, it has always been great that people were able to meet the designer, to recognise the London bus which forms the basis of the stand…so it’s really important to keep the whole package alive and moving forward.

Lars Flyvholm: As we have our own team in America, we know that the story about great British eyewear will be a great success in the US moving forward. That positioning is extremely exciting. We like the fact that the branding is so strong, and that Robert is an ambassador for that. Of course, we realise also that we must ensure the brand can also standalone already, and we must find that balance…which I think comes through the design, the strength of the campaigns, which are always distinctive with colours and British details such as the Union Jack. William Morris London really has a strength here, and as Britain has this incredible recognition all over the world, we will continue to show this side of the brand’s British heritage.

Could you tell us about your thoughts on the merger of DEG and William Morris London and your future goals?
Robert Morris: The brand has to stand on its own, and I know it can, it has established itself in the UK and globally as a brand. Of course, I hope that with Design Eyewear Group the brand can be taken to a place where I perhaps couldn’t take it. I believe that with all the synergy we have this will happen sooner rather than later.

Lars Flyvholm: Certainly, we think that this merger is very good for both Design Eyewear Group and William Morris London and we will achieve great success together. We have our sights set on growth in the US, but also in Europe and in markets like France and Germany.

Source: 20/20 Europe

August 2023

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