Following last edition, we’ll feature
designers of “tide –The IOFT Int’l Designers- “ today.
So excited to see their great colors
First, let’s us introduce the eyewear made
of new material, “recycled paper”.
Interviewee:
Mr.
Simon Chim, Principal Designer, Simon Says
Concepts Ltd.
Eyewear Brand 「chimmm」HP： http://www.chimmm.com
Eyewear Brand 「chimmm」HP： http://www.chimmm.com
Simon Chim HP： http://www.simonchim.com
Interviewer:Haruka, International PR, IOFT Show Management
Haruka(IOFT Show Management):
First, could you please introduce your
brand ?
 |
| [Mr. Chim] |
Mr. Chim (Simon Says
Concepts Ltd.):
Simon Says Concepts is a company known for interior
design and home decoration products. I’m not only the principal designer but also design and produce very special
clear Resin Products that are supplied to
concepts stores, department store, hotels and exclusive venue all over the
world since 2001. The first sunglasses collection chimmm…… was launched at Silmo Paris in 2009.
Haruka:
So the Resin
Products will be the
key exhibit at IOFT2011?
Mr. Chim:
That’s right. We recycle used papers and
produce new materials or products. Most of you will probably imagine that we break
the papers into small pieces, dissolve and process them. But look at the
glasses carefully. Can you see the original print left on them?
 |
| [PRF-110110(Comic)] |
This is a technique that coats papers with
multiple and protective layers. That means we use papers just as they were. This technique can only be
achieved by hand.
Haruka:
Everything
only by hand work! I feel overwhelmed. The technique is really essential for
this Recycle Paper Frames.
Mr. Chim:
Then, let’s
check each pair of glasses very carefully. Can you see patterns made up of
papers which you might see everyday such as magazines, newspapers and comic
books etc.
 |
| [PRF-110106(Text)] |
 |
| [PRF text 05} |
Being aware that millions of tons of waste paper are burned or
buried, my heart was broken, seeing all these colorful materials and creative
works are destroyed. I want to prolong the life of these materials so that we
can appreciate the effort behind each for a longer time. As a result, the frames
made of recycled paper are created.
Haruka:
I see. This
is really effective way of recycling. I would be excited if the frame is made
of a comic book I used to read in childhood.
Mr. Chim:
During
IOFT 2011, we will also launch an interesting exhibit “Recycle Paper
Professional Hall of Frames” .100 professional individuals are invited to
participate. All of their frames will be personalized and to be tailor made in
this projects. For example,
medical
chart for doctors, manuscript of comics for cartoonists and so on. We will
produce frames by utilizing unique papers used in special business field.
Haruka:
That sounds interesting. Even if we can’t
see the participants directly, their faces will come to mind through the
eyewear. Can’t wait to see them!
Mr.Chim:
We would like to extend our market to Japan and
believe that IOFT is the best platform to showcase and deliver our unique
design concepts to the Japanese market. Also, we expect to attract Japanese
buyers and not only in the eyewear industry but also in fashion as well as individual
corporate brands.
So, If you’re the buyer and want to make an
appointment with us, please mail to:
info@simonsaysconcepts.com
We look forward to see you all!
Haruka:
We’re so excited to see the special project
only at IOFT. Thank you, Mr. Chim!
Okay, move to the next exhibitor.
The revolutionary brand is established 2009
in Denmark
and won various design awards in eyewear industry.
Interviewee:
Mr. KENTARO HAGIHARA, MONOQOOL
Haruka:
MONOQOOL is famous for spiral hinge and I
think industry professionals must know the brand. But, I’m surprised to hear
that it’s founded just in 2009. It’s quite new brand, isn’t it?
 |
| [Mr. Hagihara] |
Mr.HAGIHARA (MONOQOOL):
Yes, it is. MONOQOOL is founded in 2009 by
two Danes who have lived in Japan
for long time. In fact, both of them entered eyewear industry from different
business, interior industry. What’s more, a designer, Ms. Karina Mencke of
tools design, also comes from different industry. That’s why they could think
different outside the stereotypes. After that, they launched their first eyewear
collection for all over the world in spring 2010.
Also, thanks to experienced engineers in
Sabae in Japan,
MONOQOOL was able to commercialize their design. As a result, in spring 2010,
we won “best of the best” as a top category of “red dot design award” in Germany, which
is one of the most authoritative design awards. What surprising is that “iPad”
of Apple won another award at this time. After that, we also won “Most
innovative eyewear collection 2010” in ”The Spectacle Showcase” in USA.
Haruka:
Well, I was surprised when I saw HELIX Collection at
first time. It’s pretty new and so amazing!
Mr.HAGIHARA:
Thank you. We’ve exhibited at IOFT since we debuted and
this year, we will exhibit for third time. MONOQOOL is a quite new brand which
has gone on the Japanese market for year and a half, though. We think IOFT is
the most effective opportunity to make our brand popular. Of course, we know
the enormous effect of being featured by mass media, however, we’d like people
to touch and see our products directly to know real excellence of our products.
So please come to our booth and see actual product on the site.
Haruka:
Well, we can’t know the essential qualities of the
products until we see them directly. We must visit your booth!
Then, please introduce new products for this year.
Mr.HAGIHARA:
First, let me introduce a familiar one HELIX Collection.
The frames have no screw bolts or welding and it have won various awards. Also,
new colors and model will be added to the collection which obtained a patent.
Next is HELIX NXT Collection.
These frames are bulletproof and very light and the
lenses are made from NXT used as a window of American helicopter. The front of
glasses is just 5g in weight and is free from crack. You will definitely feel
comfortable with these frames. They are designed by tools design, too.
You can’t miss the model “Photo Chromatic” which front color
changes from light gray at indoors into dark gray at outdoors.
Then, we’ll introduce new works.
First, this is HELIX PEN (provisional name).
It has a totally new temple.New temple with decorativeness such as sheet metal is
added to the usual 1mm temple.The glasses become more fashionable as the innovative
spiral structure is kept as it is.
I’m sorry, we can’t show you the collection, because we
don’t have a picture yet. But please visit our booth!
Let’s move to next new collection PIANO Collection.
Different from HELIX, prototype of new innovative “PIANO
Collection” will be launched.It is suitable for MONOQOOL which always produce
innovative eyewear.
We’re now working on prototype, so we don’t have pictures
of it. We look forward to seeing you at booth.
Haruka:
You have variety of collections! Especially for the two
of new collections, we’re really interested in what a new technique is used.
Mr.HAGIHARA:
The collections have full of surprising structures which
connect front and temple by rotating the temple or fix lenses by taking off a
nose pad.
Come and see the collection created by collaboration of
sophisticated Danish design and experienced engineers in Sabae.
If you want to make an appointment during the show,
please contact to
Kentaro Hagihara (Mr.)
hagihara@monoqool.com
090-1148-7722
This year, we’re going to exhibit sunglass collection, so
we look forward to see also buyers from apparel industry.
Haruka:
Thank you very much, Mr. Hagihara. Your brand will surely
attract various buyers’ attention.
Finally, we’ll introduce a brand led by a German genius which
carried out a revolution with sheet metal.
Interviewee:
Mr. Lai, PR, ic! berlin japan
twitter: http://twitter.com/ic_berlin_japan
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ic.japan
Haruka:
Please introduce ic! Berlin.
Mr. Lai (ic! berlin japan):
 |
| [Mr. Lai] |
In 1996, Ic! berlin was found in Berlin in Germany.
At the beginning, we produced glasses by using new medical industrial stainless
in 0.5mm thin, what is called “sheet metal”. The model had a great deal of
attention for strong and flexibility of the stainless, lightness of frame
weighing just about 10g and its original screwless hinge which is the logo of
ic! berlin. Because of these special features, it won various awards at SILMO,
the largest eyewear exhibition in France, in 1998.
By original hinge, we can disassemble and
assemble all the parts of the glasses without using any tool like a puzzle
ring. ic! berlin grab eyewear fans from all over the world with its novel
design, high quality like “100% hand-made in Berlin” and comfortable feeling when wearing.
Haruka:
We’ll feel absolutely comfortable when
hinges fit into each other very smoothly with bit of physical resistance. As
everybody has known the brand ic! berlin at IOFT, are you going to exhibit at
tide this year, aren’t you?
Mr. Lai:
ic! berlin exhibits at IOFT almost every
year and we requested Show Management to launch a new edgy area like tide where
overseas designers’ brands are gathered. This time, the area we exactly
expected is launched as tide, so we decided to exhibit at the area without
hesitation. We hope the area will create a free atmosphere which overseas
exhibitions such as Silmo or Mido do and IOFT didn’t have before, as tide is special
area where overseas brands are gathered under one roof.
Haruka:
Every year, we make new findings in your
new products and are surprised.
How about this year?
Mr. Lai:
Most of new works for this season are not
so gaudy, but we’ll release a lot of elegant and user-friendliness models like “edelweiss”
which is made embossing and was on sale this spring. Hope you’ll like them!
 |
| [edelweiss] |
 |
| [alpenrose] |
 |
| [andreas] |
Haruka:
I think most of the readers want to know
more about the models, but we have to wait until the show!
Mr. Lai:
I’m glad to hear that.
ic! berlin is an eyewear brand as well as
platform to share a culture of ic! berlin. We’d like to share the culture by
exhibiting at such a large exhibition like IOFT. We’re going to prepare yummy
foods and drinks on the theme of “o”ic! berlin” (oic=oishi=delicious), at our
booth as last year, so please come and join us!
Haruka:
Nice foods and eyewear. I bet your booth
must be filled with buyers.
Mr. Lai:
I hope so. If you want to make an
appointment with us, please contact to
ic! berlin japan
tel: 03 6804 2064
mail: japan@ic!
berlin.de
We’d like to see not only buyers from
eyewear shops but also from other industries and people who don’t know about
ic! berlin. We’re looking forward to seeing you.
[Editor’s Note]
This time, we featured overseas designers
at tide as last time, MONOQOOL and Simon Says Concepts which entered eyewear
industry from different business industries and ic! berlin which has been
highlighted with sheet metal and now become very popular.
All of them took in new method and
techniques and inspire eyewear industry with those new ideas. A pair of glasses
is actually crammed with surprisingly various techniques. Every year, we make
new findings with joy as we walk around inside IOFT.
We hope,
you’ll have such a lovely meeting this year as well!
Written & Edited by Haruka Miyata, International PR, IOFT Show Management
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