SILHOUETTE SS18
By Jillian Urcelay

JU: Silhouette offers hundreds of different lens and frame style combinations. Which of the new collections has been your favorite to work on and why?
RK: One of my favorite collections is our new TMA Icon Accent Rings. It’s a new way to look at rimless frames. By adding those “accent rings” the shapes become vivid and exciting. On one hand, you have this minimalistic, lightweight appearance but it’s neither rimless nor full rim. We’ve invented a kind of hybrid that brings out the best of both worlds. It took us quite a long time to perfect this simple idea because the production of those rings can be quite tricky.

The TMA styles have been showcasing unique and edgy shapes and color combinations. What type of person do you design for when creating these frames?
We always try to find the right mix of lens shapes. For a bestseller like our Titan Minimal Art Must series, it’s even more essential to get the balance right. Therefore, we create a more unique style for open-minded people who like to experiment versus a sharper and edgier style for performance-driven people—while always updating our classics as well.

Where do you find design inspiration when creating new lens shapes and colors?
That really depends on the collection. For the TMA Icon Accent Rings, I was inspired by butterflies—elegant, agravic and colorful. Inspiration is one part of the job as a designer, but we also do extensive research when it comes to colors by looking at trends in the fashion world and trying to translate those for frames. We always keep in mind that there is a difference between wearing a trendy bag as an accessory versus a frame that is placed directly on your face.

What do you enjoy most about designing for Silhouette?
For me personally, eyewear is extremely exciting because it’s a very personal item. A frame can dramatically change the look or the perception of a person. It also has a lot to do with fashion, but you have to consider the technical side of it as well. It’s this mix of cutting-edge technology, minimalistic design, love for details and the passion of all the people at Silhouette that I enjoy most. 

What new lens/frame technology is Silhouette currently offering or designing?
I’m very proud of our “Integrated Glazing Technology” that we are offering exclusively with our own Vision Sensation Lenses, coming to the U.S. later this year. It will now be possible to fully integrate a temple directly into the lenses by a special milling and bonding technology. I strongly believe that lenses and frames must be approached as one unit in the future.  ■