From idea to eyewear

Designer Birgitte Falvin can hardly believe her own eyes. Or glasses! In just three months, the collection she designed inspired by the architectural lines of Den Sorte Diamant (The Black Diamond, the Royal Library in Copenhagen, ed.) has reached an exclusive international market.

It all culminated in September when a piece of eyewear from FALVIN received a nomination in the prestigious SILMO d'Or competition in the category ‘Most Innovative Sunglasses’. The piece of eyewear is designed in Denmark and hand-made in Japan. It is made from titanium and decorated using a special colouring technique consisting of a matt paint and a 24 carat gold coating.

Even though Birgitte Falvin did not win the competition, her nomination awarded her great recognition and publicity. FALVIN is now selling in exclusive specs shops in Hong Kong, Belgium, Berlin, Canada, London, USA, Italy and Denmark.

- Before I began designing the eyewear collection, I spent a lot of time studying the market in order to be able to create a unique look. When you’re a new brand, it’s important to have a design that people recognise and which stands out, Birgitte Falvin explains. She goes on:

- I used a conceptual approach to produce a commercial product. The combination of Japanese craftsmanship, exclusive materials and Danish Design has opened a lot of doors for us. My partner and I launched FALVIN Eyewear at the SILMO optician fair in Paris three months ago, and we work with sales agents abroad.

- I have previously worked in sales, education, jewellery design, haute couture and styling, and my all-round experience has proven very valuable to my start-up business. We’ve tried to be professional from the start by making e.g. market analyses. Also, we quickly set up a professional board, which has helped us a great deal. I have also done a lot of outreach work and visited innovation houses. At Design School Kolding I participated in a masterclass for designers by D2i – Design to innovate about how to create a very precise business model. My partner and I both have a strong network, which has enabled us get a headstart with easy access to know-how and help from the right people at the right time.

What has been your biggest challenge?
- I have underestimated the transformation of going from independent freelance designer to a large-scale production set-up with a Japanese supplier. There is a huge cultural difference, and the communication works differently than what I’m used to from working with suppliers in China and India.

Why eyewear?
- I’ve worked as a stylist and personal shopper and learned that glasses are a powerful accessory that can set the tone when you want to create a personal style. When I design glasses, I apply technical aspects from jewellery design, my experience with patterns, and the knowledge I gained as a stylist working for fashion-conscious clients. The collection is inspired by the architecture of Den Sorte Diamant.

Do you have any advice for people who want to start their own business?
- It’s important that you build your company around a product and a form language that you feel passionate about. The structure of the company should match your way of working because free time and work melt together in the beginning. Setting up an interdisciplinary team will get you a long way, as will selecting the right partners and investors. You need chemistry and trust. And although it can be quite a barrier to invite others into your design process, it pays to have more hands to do the job and listen to customer input that might improve your product.

What’s next?
- We work to get into new and exciting markets and will be participating at several international fairs next year. I’ve always enjoyed to travel so I’m happy to show the collection at fairs in Munich, Milan and Paris. We look forward to meeting the Danish opticians at the Copenhagen Specs fair in Copenhagen on 5 and 6 March 2016.

Bonus info
Birgitte Falvin graduated from Design School Kolding in 2004 specialising in digital print, concept and laser-cut textiles. She developed a concept called Identity Play, which presents a variety of stylistic realms for women who want to express a personal style through their wardrobe. The concept allowed the women to ’play’ with their identity by changing look and style while exchanging insights with other women via chat and photos on an online portal.