VARSAN MAKİNA
Authentic and Eco-Friendly
Being an exhibitor of Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair strengthened the position of our Root&Steel brand in the sector and paved the way for its international recognition.
Hello Ms. Zeynep Var. As the founder of the Root&Steel brand, could you tell us about how you met the sector?
Hello, I am Fatma Zeynep Var. I completed my undergraduate education in Industrial Design and Interior Architecture, and I am also an Opticianry student. Product design and production has been at every point of my life since my childhood. Our family business, Varsan Makina, has been producing technological solutions for different industrial activities since 1990 under the leadership of my father Hasan Hüsnü Var, the founder. For this reason, my curiosity in design and production was reinforced with my involvement in the production processes at Varsan Makina. The combination of my father’s knowledge and experience with my passion for eyewear design and our R&D researches ,and technology expertise, which have been going on for about 10 years, played an important role in the Root&Steel brand gaining its identity. In the last 1-year period, we have approached our Root&Steel works professionally and institutionally and have been involved in the sector on the way to branding.
Root&Steel is an exciting brand for the Turkish optical industry. Could you share the main features and values of your brand with our readers?
Root&Steel is a brand that set out with the passion to produce elegant and functional eyewear inspired by nature. We put sustainability at the center of our brand philosophy and adopt a production approach that cares about both the present and the future. With the increasing demand for design and production processes with sustainable and environmentally friendly materials not only in our country but also in the global optical industry; we design and produce authentic and timeless eyewear with natural materials such as wood and ram’s horn, which ideally reflect the unique textures offered by nature. As Varsan Makina, we get excellent results when we combine handcraftsmanship with these natural materials as well as the technologies we specialize in. Combining traditional craftsmanship and modern design with environmentally friendly materials and production processes, Root&Steel goes beyond just offering accessories with its eyewear and offers unique works of art that make its users feel nature. With Root&Steel, we realize our goal of creating a brand that provides added value to Turkey, while continuing to offer timeless and original products inspired by nature to future generations.
How do you realize your goal of ‘authenticity and timelessness’ in design for Root&Steel?
At Root&Steel, we achieve our goal of producing authentic and timeless designs by adding a modern interpretation to retro and vintage looks. Our designs reflect the iconic lines and nostalgic aesthetics of the past while revitalizing these looks with contemporary touches. In this way, our products bring together both the elegance of the past and the dynamics of today. While retro and vintage inspirations define our perspective, we can also say that we focus on design elements that never go out of fashion. The warmth of natural materials inspired by nature and our handmade production process make each pair of Root&Steel eyewear unique and one-of-a-kind. Classic lines and elegant details combine with modern ergonomics and durability to deliver timeless elegance. With this design philosophy, we aim to create an aesthetic that inspires in every era. While our eyewear brings back memories with its retro and vintage look, it also tells stories that touch the future with its natural and original structure.
How do you proceed to expand Root&Steel’s sales network?
Our priority is to meet the right audiences by reflecting the unique spirit of our brand. Through our exclusive store collaborations, we create not only a sales environment for our products but also a quality experience environment. Therefore, we work with stores that are in line with Root&Steel’s identity and prefer the brand spirit. In their stores, we present our products with very special wooden presentation boxes. In this way, we make our sale points feel the value of the brand in every sense and expand this attentive approach to establish a closer bond with our end users. We create the content of each wooden presentation box together with the store manager. Thus, each sale point creates its own sales collection according to its own customer profile and style. In addition, at our sales points, users have the opportunity to choose the texture from our material chart for the models selected from the catalogue and reach our eyewear that are completely personalized and suitable for their own style. All these elements make the Root&Steel experience unique and make our end-users feel special.
Do you follow international fairs and what’re your comments on the contributions of them to the sector?
We follow international fairs closely and believe that these organizations offer really important opportunities. The fairs not only promote brands, but also help us to closely observe the development and innovations of the sector. In particular, they provide the ideal atmosphere to follow current trends and make a comparative analysis with other brands in the sector. We believe that participating in international fairs is a critical step both to promote the Root&Steel brand globally and to establish new business contacts. These events offer great opportunities not only to meet potential business partners but also to introduce the quality and difference of our brand to a wider audience. They are also invaluable for us to learn the latest industry developments and gather information that will shape our future strategies. Learning about innovations from around the world while showcasing our products helps us to keep our brand and product portfolio constantly updated.
As an exhibitor, how would you evaluate the 11th Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair since its inception?
The fact that Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair was held for the 11th time this year shows how strong the fair’s stance in the sector is. Silmo Istanbul has been an important meeting point for both the local and international optical industry since its inception. As one of the exhibitors of Silmo Istanbul Optical Fair, I should mention that the fair played a major role in the promotion of our Root&Steel brand. Silmo istanbul offers a very valuable platform not only to showcase our products, but also to follow the innovations in the sector and develop our brand. This year the fair created an environment where we were able to interact directly with professionals in the industry, showcase our products and establish potential business partnerships. In addition, thanks to the interest and feedback from the visitors who attended this year’s Silmo Istanbul, we once again proved the quality and differentiation of our products. As an growing and developing event every year, Silmo Istanbul is an important show, which motives us strongly. Taking part in Silmo Istanbul as an exhibitor not only strengthened the position of Root&Steel brand in the sector, but also paved the way for its international recognition. By exhibiting at Silmo Istanbul in up coming years, we are planning to present our new and innovative collections that will strengthen our brand position in both national and international optical sector, and to reach out to a wider audience, just like this year.
Thank you very much for this exclusive interview. Finally, could you share your ideas on 4 your eyes and its transition to digital publishing?
First of all, on behalf of the Root&Steel family, I would like to thank the entire 4 your eyes team for this special interview. 4 your eyes Optical Magazine is a very important milestone for the optical industry. Thanks to your digital publications, it has become possible to share developments, innovations and trends in the sector more quickly. At Root&Steel, we see digitalization as both an opportunity and a necessity. Your digitalization offers great opportunities, especially in terms of fast access to information in the sector, reaching wider audiences and increasing interaction. This change has opened up many new opportunities for 4 your eyes to produce different content and offer a more dynamic experience to its readers.
February 2025