Lapima
Brazil’s First Luxury Eyewear
With a high-fashion approach, Lapima refines the curves and volumes of its designs through precise millimetric calculations, achieving a perfect balance between light and shadow.
Gustavo and Gisela’s inspiration focuses on capturing intricate details, describing the unique places, intangible sensations and sensual atmospheres of Brazil. They translate these elements into the poetic essence of a brand. We know that beauty often arises from the union of two different souls. Gisela brings grace and lightness, having been a dancer with a marketing degree, while Gustavo contributes his entrepreneurial spirit, holding a business degree. Together in both life and work, they founded Lapima in 2016, the first Brazilian luxury eyewear brand, quickly gaining global acclaim with features in leading magazines. Lapima is shaped not only by their personal journey but also by Brazil’s natural and architectural landscapes, its sensual atmosphere, the wind, summer, unique light, sea, and deep-rooted traditions, all of which play a significant role in the brand’s identity. Combined with their passion, these elements defined the soul of Lapima, making it one of the most significant and formidable brands to emerge in recent years. We present an interview with Gisela Negrão Assis, Co-Founder of Lapima, about the brand.
Hello Gisela. Please tell us about you and Gustavo’s background, where you come from, your origins…
Gustavo and I have been together since 2002. At that time he was already an entrepreneur with several fashion stores. We met in Campinas. We’re both from Campinas, a city in the countryside of São Paulo State, Brazil, South America. Gustavo graduated in Business and I studied marketing after spending three years in Germany and Switzerland studying classical ballet. We became business partners in 2010 after being together for 8 years and having two kids. It was only in 2014, after a successful period working together, that we started dreaming of Lapima.
What is the meaning of the name Lapima, and why did you choose it?
Our oldest, Guga, at the age of 2, couldn’t pronounce ‘Lá em cima,’ which means ‘up there’ in Portuguese. Instead, he said ‘Lapima.’ We loved the word, its meaning, and the way it sounded. In addition, it’s easy to write and read in any language, so it made sense for our brand.
How is Lapima’s dedication to revitalizing and preserving sunglass craft executed today?
When we researched the market and planned the Lapima, we aimed to create a new aesthetic for sunglasses. We wanted to be the first luxury eyewear brand from Brazil, handcrafted in our own atelier. The essence of the brand is a Brazilian way of life translated into disruptive design and high-quality products. Our philosophy is of a haute couture business. We produce on demand, we don’t waste materials, and we don’t accumulate stock. Lapima works at a slower pace. Each piece is hand-designed, prototyped, and crafted, and the process of developing a new collection can take up to one year. We know that the client can see and feel the love in each purchased frame. To be able to provide the 30 artisans working in the atelier, in Campinas, where the sun shines three hundred days a year, (of which 25 are women) a great environment, a feeling of belonging, and the certainty to be crafting a unique product, it’s absolutely priceless for us. It’s what makes us happier and happier each and every day.
What are the materials you prefer for Lapima collections?
As Lapima, we partner with an Italian acetate manufacturer that does not use petroleum acetate, but cotton-based acetate. The lenses are all certified by the European Community and the FDA. Hinges are made in Germany by a family-owned business. We don’t produce stock, because we produce by demand, similar to a haute couture house, and as I mentioned earlier, all of Lapima employees are from our local community.
You and Gustavo draw inspiration from Brazil, but also from your hearts and souls. What are your other inspirations?
Lapima reflects what we live and feel. Brazil and its unique spots are our biggest inspiration. The nature, colours, architecture, and the designers that preceded us, are all influential. We have a rich culture, and what we show is what we see. Additionally, our states of mind and surrounding feelings inspire us greatly. In an artistic, authorial process, the inspirations begin with drawing on paper, made by hand, and going through millimeter calculation, the curves and volumes of each frontal, the perfect game of light and shadow harmony. And then color comes into play, the desired tone to better serve that inspiration. Lapima has many journeys ahead; there’s much to show and discuss and we’re excited about what’s to come.
How would you describe a Lapima wearer?
Lapima was launched in 2016 in the art gallery environment, and coincidently most of our clients around the world share the same love for art, architecture, and nature. Confident women, who know what they want and have no need to express themselves through logos. Also very confident men are discovering the Lapima World, as our “X Collection” (sculpture pieces that offer longer temples and wider noses) welcomes anyone with larger features.
Source: Eyebook
April 2025