Intervista su 20/20


VISIVA

AUTHOR: CLODAGH NORTON

INTERVIEW
APRIL 26, 2017

Ethnic details with artisan flair

Italian label Visiva is an eyewear project merging different ideas and inspiration in a collection of frames made by highly qualified Italian artisans.
20/20 EUROPE asked designer/founder Stefano Castellani about his passion for making individual designs with commitment to quality and unique decoration.

Q: VISIVA IS PART OF THE ITALIAN EYEWEAR TRADITION. PLEASE EXPLAIN WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED AND HOW YOU CAME TO CREATE THE VISIVA CONCEPT?

A: Visiva began in Milan about three years ago. The collection is made in Italy – in its entirety, of course. The Italian tradition is our pride and our inspiration.  The respect for our country and the knowledge of its amazing heritage is part of the foundation of Visiva.

Q: WHAT ARE THE KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COLLECTION? TELL US ABOUT THE MATERIALS, DESIGN STYLE, INNOVATION AND DETAILING.

A: We like elegant shapes, enriched with some ethnic and natural design concepts. We combine sophisticated acetate colours with precious and natural materials like wood, gemstones or mother of pearl.
Sometimes we engrave ethnic patterns on the acetate, like a tattoo. Or we design nose bridges or temple tips with original metal decorations. The collection is clearly recognizable for its typical “ethnic-natural-elegant” mix.

Q: WHAT DID VISIVA EXHIBIT AT MIDO THIS YEAR? PLEASE DESCRIBE THE LATEST COLLECTION WITH REGARD TO NEW TRENDS IN EYEWEAR.

A: We presented new styles with our original metal bridge. It’s an ultra-light, hollow structure, inspired by a biological pattern.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE AREA OF EYEWEAR AND HOW IS THIS INTERPRETED AT VISIVA FOR 2017. WHAT COLOURS ARE MOST IMPORTANT THIS YEAR AND HOW YOU HAVE EXPLORED COLOUR CONCEPTS?

A: I like to work on colour. Every Visiva frame has to be monochromatic. This is an interesting challenge. It is crucial to select the perfect point of tonality. It has to be elegant, a bit unusual with a reference to some natural elements. I am used to going through hundreds of acetate samples. The next releases will have our new individual colours we are now producing with reference to Pantone tones: a turquoise/grey and a coral red.

Q: WHERE IS VISIVA AVAILABLE IN EUROPE? COMMENT ON YOUR DISTRIBUTION IN ITALY AND IN OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.

A: Visiva is available in Italy (where we operate also as eyewear distributors) and a few selected shops in France, Switzerland and the Benelux region. Our focus is now to increase our presence in most EU countries.

Q: WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE COMING UP? 

A: Like most eyewear brands, the first, most important challenge is to find our own unique style; the second is to maintain it and keep it alive within ever changing style trends. We are also working on a Limited Edition with silver decorations.

Q: FINALLY, DESCRIBE IN ONE WORD OR PHRASE YOUR PASSION FOR EYEWEAR OR THE FEELING IN YOUR EYEWEAR COLLECTION. 

A: I feel somehow rewarded to see that people recognize a “Visiva style”, even if the project is still quite young. All I want is to create is a great product with a clear identity and an evocative design mix.

http://www.2020europe.com/en_en/magazine/fashion_and_lifestyle-1/interview-6/visiva-401.html