Unlikely Inspiration
Origami – we’ve heard of this as a source of inspiration for
dress designs, but never for sunglasses.
But this is the key idea behind MYKITA, a Berlin-based
eyewear company that breaks the mold in the eyewear market, literally and
figuratively. The company is the
brainchild of four German friends, Moritz Krueger, Philipp Haffmans, Daniel
Haffmans, and Harald Gottschling, who joined together to create a well-known
product in innovative ways by finding new materials and technical solutions.
“We tried to create a concept, which works like the Japanese
principle of Origami, so just with folding and bending you’re creating the
concept for the eyewear and that was the starting point of our first
collection,” says Phillip.
Constant Discovery
MYKITA was founded in 2003 and was named after the
kindergarten in which their first office space was formed—the word ‘Kita’ is
the abbreviation of the German word Kindergärten, and the MY- added to the
beginning of the name makes it mean ‘my kindergarten.’
According to MYKITA’s mission statement, the company seeks to
bring forth a new, modern product that is perceived as something completely
different form the products that precede it—instead of replicating eyewear
through tried-and-true methods, they seek to constantly experiment with new materials
and construction methods.
MYKITA’s unique designs first caught my eye when I stumbled upon a
cobalt blue pair in a small boutique while walking the streets of Paris. The frames felt light as a feather and
as if they were all part of one seamless piece. In fact, as I picked up the
lenses in awe, I worried how breakable the lenses would be given how delicate
they felt in my hand.
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| A pair of MYKITA sunglasses similar to the ones I saw in Paris. Pick up a pair of these and you'll be surprised to see they weigh next to nothing! |
As it turns out, MYKITA’s frames are made of titanium and feature
a hingeless design that trumps the need for screws and welded joints, making
them virtually unbreakable. The leader of this innovative approach was likely
to Philipp Haffmans, who began his career by studying industrial design in
1992.
He explains, “during my studies we started to deal with optical,
and experimenting with frames, and this is how the flattening concept arrived.”
By doing so, he claims, “we are bringing to eyewear … a perception of modern
product, not a replica of something that has already existed.”
Printable
Eyewear
So, if the founders of MYKITA never want to replicate the old,
what’s next for the company? Well, MYKITA recently released its newest line,
MYKITA MYLON, which is a line of eyewear designed specifically to converge
athletics and fashion in a revolutionary way.
The material of the glasses claims to boast “individual adjustability,
low weight and extreme durability” with its unique production through Selective
Laser Sintering. The method involves layering a superfine powder and
transforming it into a three-dimensional object through carbon dioxide laser
sintering. So, in short, these sunglasses are made of powder! [see video below
for more].
In fact, this method is actually a form of 3D printing, so their
claims for ‘individual adjustability’ mean that the buyer can buy their own 3D
printed pair of glasses, custom-fit to their face. The idea is so revolutionary
that it has earned the company an iF material award and a Red Dot design award
for product design.
Presentation
is Key
Finally, MYKITA’s founders don’t stop with their product design to
make their company one of the most innovative accessories brands yet—they even
design their shops with a unique architectural sense to specifically complement
the design of their frames.
Aimed to achieve an art-installation feel, these shops feature
contrasting materials like perforated steel, all-white walls, and neon
storefronts. Currently, the ever-growing MYKITA has shops in Berlin, Paris,
Monterrey, Cartagena, Zurich, Vienna, Tokyo, and, as of late July, New
York—their first entrance into U.S. territory. After gaining exposure to the
U.S. market, this European gem is sure to be big.
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| Mykita's Tokyo store interior is almost as beautiful as the products themselves. |
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