Lunettes Kollektion is a Berlin eyewear brand that crafts its frames from fine materials and with modern design. The sunglasses and optical frames are produced using artisanal methods in Italy so you know you are getting quality eyewear. The frames start with the highest quality cellulose acetate which gives them a rich range of colours, an easy-to-wear lightness and reliable flexibility.

What started off as a vintage eyewear shop, Lunettes Selection, by Uta Geyer, the shop was frequented by savvy customers and people working in theatre, film production and fashion. Geyer went on to create Lunettes Kollektion, most of the designs inspired by vintage design as well as what her customers are looking for.

The brand has collaborated with high fashion and innovative designers like Christopher Shannon, James Long, Louise Gray and most recently Michael Van Der Ham. Unlike the main collection which feature frames that are more classic, the designers range are often more conceptual and whimsical.

I got myself a pair of the Christopher Shannon collaboration sunglasses which I fell in love with when I saw it on the runway. The emerald frames with matching reflective lenses are what you would normally find on sports sunglasses but Lunettes Kollektion has cleverly made them in a way that only the design-savvy would appreciate. I also couldn’t resist the Bon Vivant clear frames which are both minimal and bold.

The Berlin brand has been working hard in ensuring that its frames are readily available globally – from New York’s Soho to Tokyo’s Shibuya to Barcelona’s El Passeig De Gracia. The range is extensive with classic and vintage selections for the design-savvy who still want to stay conservative and the bolder range which suit the creative spirit like me.

I had a chat with Geyer on the origin of the brand name, how she designs and where she sees the brand in a few years. There are definitely some exciting things coming from this Berlin brand.

– How did the name Lunettes Kollektion come about?

The name Lunettes Kollektion comes from my vintage eyewear boutique in Berlin, which I have founded almost ten years ago. (We sell original vintage eyewear from no names to Porsche, plus a selection of contemporary eyewear including Lunettes Kollektion).

Looking for a name for this shop, I went though various European languages to look for a nice word for “Brille”, which means glasses in German. I came across the French word Lunettes, and fell in love with it. Not only is the sound of this word beautiful, but the meaning is also full of poetry, because Lune = Moon, so it’s as if the lenses represent two little moons.

– Tell me about the process of coming up with concepts for the frames. Where do the inspirations come from?

There are many different sources. I can give you an idea about the two most important ones. One very good thing is that we run two shops in Berlin. Our clientele is pretty cosmopolitan and very fashion focused/forward, so by looking at their demands we always know what will be the next thing more or less. So we do have the chance to get an idea about future trends. At the same time, we have a huge archive we can source from. We have so many vintage pieces that give us so much inspiration. In the end, we combine these two sources and create something new.

– There are so many eyewear brands but Lunettes Kollektion is one of the few who has merged style and quality. What do you think contributed to the success?

Our philosophy is to work with family-run firms in Europe who produce in a sustainable way and assemble our glasses by hand. This insures quality. Paired with our design aesthetic, it seems to create a winning combination that our customers love. We appreciate the artisanal, the rare, and the timeless, and we translate that through fine materials and modern design.

– How did the designer collaborations come about? Who are you collaborating with next?

Most of them happened by accident, because some friend knew someone, or we met the brand at a trade show where we showed next to our future collaboration partner. We also get a lot of contacts through social media. Most of them just happened organically.

As for the next collaboration — we are in touch with a few designers at the moment – but nothing is fixed at the moment.

– Where do you see the brand in 5 years?

I hope to build a strong worldwide distribution network in the next five years. We are quite well known in Europe, the United States and Asia for now, but the Far East is a market I would also very much like to reach out to. I can envision Lunettes Collection flagship stores in several metropolitan cities in five years time.