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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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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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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