New Styles from LOOK – Made in Italia

Materika Aurea
»75360«

“Viva L’Italia”

Bellissimo! A special photo shoot celebrates all things Italian. To really set the scene, everything you see is 100% made in Italy. Not just the design and manufacturing of the star of the show, eyewear from LOOK – MADE IN ITALIA. The shoot itself also took place on Italian soil, in Sardinia to be exact. We get the full lowdown in our on-location interview with LOOK designer Giordano Cazzola and marketing manager Marco De Fina.

For our Collection Shoot in Sardinia, you sent us some current models from LOOK-made in Italia. Giordano, what exactly are the main talking points here? 

Giordano: We want to show you how LOOK-made in Italia is combining research, production know how and functional design in unique and exclusivity according to a cross-up selling concept. In this concept, the adult product segment is defined through the material as a marker of quality either premium or high-end.

Some of the featured products are from the MATERIKA line. What distinguishes MATERIKA in general?

In MATERIKA, the aptitude of LOOK-made in Italia for design research is elevated to a higher level. There is a direct dialogue between the objectives of the designer and the production department. Technology and craftsmanship come together to give rise to new concepts in the high-end eyewear segment, where the study of materials and driving innovation remain the focus of each project.

How does the Strato collection fit into the MATERIKA approach?

Strato is part of the new Alumix collection, within the experimental section of MATERIKA. This new experience renews the choices our company made in the past, for instance to best represent one of our distinctive materials.  

Speaking of materials, Alumix is the dominant choice in the collection?

Yes, it’s a special alloy of aluminum and magnesium. Super-light and high-performance and shaped according to completely exclusive processing criteria.

From a design perspective, what are the special features of Strato?

Strato models are characterized by a contemporary design, focusing on details and the idea of a stratification that enhances the richness of the workmanship. Numerous mechanical steps alternate with calculated craftsmanship, creating a story of processes combined with accuracy and precision. 

Creativity is thereby translated into attractive glasses of absolute aesthetic novelty.

You also play with ‘contrasting finishes’. What’s the story behind that?

The concept is to apply the expertise of the company’s research on Alumix to the theme of contrast, understood as a harmonious dialogue between different thicknesses and surfaces. The aim is to satisfy the attentive eye of the observer, through a perception of enveloping tactility.

What is the color concept behind Strato?

Not only are the colors completely new, but there is also a revolutionary color concept in Strato

In how far?

The colors range from ruby red to virtual green. From signal yellow to graphite black to the more reassuring midnight blue or slate grey. But the colors never appear flat or dull. The saturation of acid green or amethyst violet, for example, is diluted in both matted and metallic nuances. It is exciting to see how the tangible differences in the surface can be grasped by rotating the glasses and changing the point of observation. 

Next in our Collection Shoot, Aurea is a special capsule collection. Marco, how does this collection fit into your line-up?

Marco: Aurea is a limited-edition capsule collection. A project that was created to make tangible the visual experience of the NEW RINASCIMENTO image campaign. In fact, we decided to communicate our values not only through our image but by translating them into product, which represents our core business. We can say that Aurea is the fruit of NEW RINASCIMENTO.

What was the starting point?

Aurea was born from an apparently simple concept. The development started from identifying the common denominator within nature, understood in its totality. Nature as an environment but also as human nature. The connection that man has always sought with nature. We identified it in the ‘golden ratio’, the highest expression of harmony. It’s a sincere bond with the ‘beauty’ that has always existed in nature.

For which target group is this concept designed?

Aurea is a product in the adult premium and high-end segments of LOOK – made in Italia.

How many styles are part of the collection?

The capsule consists of four frames, two men’s and two women’s, designed by LOOK-made in Italia designers Giuseppe De Riva and Augusto Valentini. Aurea will also create two entire collections for the adult premium and adult high-end segments, completing the development of LOOK-made in Italia acetate frames.

How can the design language of Aurea be described?

It is a language that speaks of refined Italian creativity. Everything originates from the desire to represent beauty following a simple concept that we can summarize with the word harmony.

What materials and colors do you play with in this capsule collection?

First of all, Aurea is a full acetate product in which our expertise has been used to experiment. The color games range from transparencies to detailed coloring processes to express the creativity underlying the project to the fullest. For example, in the »Aurea 4530« model, the concept of ‘overlapping lightness’ is introduced. The acetate material is processed in such a way as to look like a stratification of colors, where each layer has its own specific aesthetic function. 

As a brand with its own manufacturing, you also have a great influence on the ecological footprint of your eyewear. What steps are you taking to keep it low?

First of all, we focus our research on choosing the best raw materials. Without them, you cannot make excellent products. For us, this is mandatory. We research and develop materials internally, for instance Alumix. These materials have a very low environmental impact during extraction and create a sustainable product life cycle. They are recyclable countless times and without losing any of their mechanical properties, which guarantees continued product performance with a low footprint.

Thank you both for the interview.

Look Aurea
»4530«
Look Aurea
»4531«
Materika Strato
»70663«
Materika Aurea
»75361«

photos NARÈNTE [LUCIO ARU + FRANCO ERRE]
casting NARÈNTE
styling VERONICA RUGGERI
hair & make-up DANIELA DESSÌ
models MARTHA MASSIEL at THE CLAW MODELS & FILIPPO PINNA at BRAVE MODELS 
assistant ALESSIA GRECO 

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