Posts written by Luca

Paris, Silmo 2009 trade show

Our clients came to Paris to see the new collection and many new international opticians were enthusiastic to discover L.G.R.

It was a challenge for us to keep the strength and autenticity of the first collection and to meet the high expectations of our very special clients.

The second day into the show, me and Tomaso were celebrating the success and were happy about the new reached goals.

Tommy and Luca

This picture was taken in Paris during men’s fashion week in 2007.  It was the first time that we presented L.G.R’s collection to the public. Me and Tommaso were at Area, a showroom for independent designers and creators. We got a space and a table set up were we displayed the sunglasses.

Area 2007, The Beginning

I was shy talking to fashion buyers about Africa, my grandfather and about the craft production behind L.G.R sunglasses. But, by the end of the show, we got the compliments of many people and everyone was congratulating Tommaso and me. We counted the many orders, the business cards and the appointments we got; we looked at each other not believing it. It was a success and it was just the beginning!

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This article came out three months after L.G.R’s debut in Paris.

I got a call from a lady that came to see L.G.R some time before by our showroom in Paris. That lady was the assistant of Carine Roitfeld, chief editor of Vogue France. She told me that Mrs. Roitfeld wanted to see me and to hear the story about L.G.R, Africa and the sunglasses.

I wasn’t sure at the time who Carine Roitfeld was and what Condenast meant for fashion.

The appointment was at 2 p.m. in Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honorè inside the Conde Nast Publications building. I soon became very anxcious to meet Mrs. Roitfeld. I waited her to finish her lunch and by 2:45 p.m. she came to the waiting room with 5 or 6 stunning models, told them goodbye and told me to follow her to her office.

Her office was completely full of flower bouquets and packages lying on the floor around the room, all with notes on them. I asked if it was her birthday, but she told me not, that they were all “thank you” notes and gifts. I soon realized tha she was “The Godfather” of fashion!

She made me sit down in front of her desk and told me to start telling the story of Africa, of the sunglasses and were I wanted to go with it. After 10 minutes that I was talking she interrupted me and made a quick phone call.

“Allò,… Pierre? Vien ici! Vien maitenant! On a une histoire..!”

She told me that the glasses were “Tres chic! ” and “Tres Vogue!” and that they were probably going to write about them.

After two months from that precious encounter I saw the page they had written about me, my sunglasses, and my grandfather. I felt great, there are no words to describe it. L.G.R’s first appearance on the press! But, I also felt responsible for all the attention I was getting. I didn’t want to delude the many expectations.

This article has been for me a great motivating experience, it gave the courage to beleive in my ambitions.  I was sure that if Vogue liked L.G.R sunglasses, I had definitely a chance to develop it into something beautiful.

Thank you Carine, thank you Vogue! x

Polarized L.G.R

I took this picture during a safari across Tzavo National Park in Kenya. Enjoying the landscape through my polarized L.G.Rs.

You can see how much better everything looks through polarized lenses. Under extreme sun light conditions, like the equatorial sun of Africa, polarized lenses assure the best visual.

I would have probably missed the giraffe without my polarized L.G.R sunglasses!

This is the first step of production. It is the workshop by our laboratory were we transform our ideas into a real product. First, we have to combine the design with the right colours. Then the artisan goes into the lab, makes a first rough sample and we discuss it. This process can take several days before we find the perfect equlibrium of style, elegance and comfort. It’s a very delicate moment because depending on the mood we can make good or bad combinations. You have to make sure to enter the workshop with a clear mind, no preoccupations and knowing what you want, because the state of mind will strongly influence the results.

Eritrea, Asmara, Via Lorenzo Tazaz 26, Foto-Ottica Bini

This building has been my grandfather’s house and shop, in Asmara, since 1948. It was built by the Italians more than one hundred years ago. On the bottom floor there is the optical store were I found the first L.G.R frames and above the apartment were I stay when I go to Asmara.

To me, in terms of style, Asmara relates to Italy like Cuba relates to the United States. Asmara seems like an Italian city stuck in the 1950′s.  The decadent facades of the buldings, the old Fiat cars, men wearing worn out double-chested suits and thick, brown sunglasses.

These nostalgic images inspired me to make L.G.R sunglasses and to bring back from the past forgotten objects that carried old values. With it’s simple and unstated elegance Asmara preserves many precious values that I am trying to express through L.G.R frames.

Raffaello Bini. Asmara, 1936

Some years ago I was in Eritrea, Africa, wandering through my grandfather’s old warehouse of Italian imports, when I discovered a model of sunglasses from a time long forgotten. These beautiful designs, immediately evoked the romanticism of an era long gone by. The merging of two worlds; the adventure of Africa and the glamour of the Riviera. I returned to the original manufacturers and created a line capturing this timeless elegance.