6 things you don’t know about Marcolin

In 2021 it celebrated 60 years in business. During these 60 years Marcolin, the Italian company from Longarone that designs, manufactures and distributes eyewear worldwide, has gone a very long way. The 15 million pairs of glasses sold on average every year are a testament to this. But so are other figures.

1

Since 1968, Marcolin started speaking many languages. As an addition to its first 8 distributor network in the United States, another location opened in France in 1976, and the company soon expanded its presence worldwide with 15 branches in the US, Brazil, Asia, Mexico, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

2

It’s a young company: 69% of its approximately 2000 employees are aged under 50 years, and 57% of them are women. And they are all engaged with vocational education and training: just think that over the past year they had over 5600 hours of training.

3

Today Marcolin distributes eyewear for more than 20 licensed brands in over 125 countries and has 1 proprietary brand (Web Eyewear).

4

One of its keys to success is the “time factor”: the creation of every new frame takes 11 months of hard work in Longarone. It’s the time needed to go from an idea to its design to the creation of a prototype –requiring great artisanal skills and precision- up to the selection of materials and colors and then the manufacturing phase.

The creation of every new glasses model takes 11 months of work.

5

But eyewear manufacturing also takes time. The time needed to carry out over 60 steps including, just to mention a few, temple and front creation, assembling, tumbling, cutting, and lens insertion. And then refinement, the phase where the frames are personalized, and adjusting, when all the components of a frame are checked.

6

Choco-camel or “foliage” tones. These are just two of the endless color options (and lens-frame combos) that are available today. But, whatever color is selected, to verify lens compliance with existing regulations and before and after any frame hits the market, a great number of optical and mechanical tests are conducted. Testing is carried out in-house by our Product Quality and Compliance Department and by the Marcolin Certification Lab, as well as by qualified third-party laboratories.

Choco-camel or “foliage” tones. These are just two of the endless color options (and lens-frame combos) that are available today

Zhou Guanyu

1

How did your passion for cars start?

My passion for cars started very young age around 5 or 6 years old. I just loved all the kart ways since I was a kid. Then I started karting. My family took me to the go kart track. When I tried it for the first time I absolute enjoyed it. It sounded like something I really wanted to do. Then I experienced the Chinese Grand Prix and I felt like I wanted to be one day a F1 driver. That was my dream that kind of happened and made of, always trying everything I could, going step by step to arrive here in F1.

2

In 2022 you were the first Chinese driver to compete in a Formula One Grand Prix. What is your next challenge?

The next goal I want to reach in F1 is a victory. Winning a race could be amazing and at the same time having my own race in China for the 2024 season, which is really great for me and gives me an extra motivation. I want to achieve more and more. Better finish, top five, victories step by step. Hopefully racing for my own crowd… this could be an amazing atmosphere to be remembered.

 

3

What is Italian identity for you, given that you drive an Alfa Romeo and usually wear Web Eyewear?

The Italian identity means quite a lot for me. My F1 team is Italian and gave me the opportunity to reach my dream and start my journey in F1. Then I love the Italian culture. I lived in Italy for almost three years, I drived the Ferrari Driver Academy before so I know quite well the country and the cities, fashion, and design. The Italian brands always bring cool stuff, surprising ideas like these stylish sunglasses I appreciate to wear at the track.

A journey that starts with an idea

The value of thought

With very few exceptions, today’s glasses are no longer made from rare, prized materials. But their value goes beyond the tangible nature of this aspect: it’s the creative process that makes the difference. In other words, that invisible, in some ways imperceptible, phase of work in which a thought is transformed into a sketch and then into a design, calling into play experience, hours of work, painstaking attention to detail. Thus begins the journey that will lead to the creation of a new frame, helping offer a precise view of the world. This is the intangible heritage we always find behind the creative process of a new frame, as everyone in the Marcolin Style Department knows. A way of working akin to the high engineering of the world of jewellery.

Each model has its own values, a precise history and different inspirational muses.

Eyewear as jewellery

It is precisely from the world of jewellery, where even the smallest detail – given the premium quality of the materials – must be taken care of with the utmost attention, that inspiration is taken to add value to a pair of glasses. Such as the insertion of small ‘wrong’ marks that can change refraction, create a chiaroscuro effect, break the perfection of a temple. Small interventions that mean an object is no longer characterised as mass produced and give it a very human uniqueness and, therefore, a greater value. Details that are not without significance. Because it is even in the smallest of gestures, such as choosing a pair of glasses, that we reveal how much value we attach to ourselves.

The emotional aspects

Coming up with a new collection, in fact, means taking a whole host of aspects into account. Starting with the fit, because a pair of glasses must, first and foremost, be comfortable. At the same time, however, it is a special object, which is always chosen following the heart, our most emotional organ. And which, by surrounding our eyes, communicates something about us to the rest of the world. The care that goes into the details in the creative phase is the very ingredient that can touch those senses and emotions, because it conveys the soul, the value of the licences with which a group like Marcolin works. In a nutshell, with each new collection, the challenge is to innovate by touching new sensory and emotional chords, while remaining true to the character of each brand: each model has its own values, a precise history and different inspirational muses. Everyone needs to be well aware of these aspects and follow them very closely.

Andrea Batilla

1

What places do you hold in your heart in this city, especially during the Fashion Week?

«For sure the Grand Hotel et de Milan coffee bar in via Manzoni, one of the city’s most prestigious hotels, built in 1880 and hosting the famous “Verdi suite” on the first floor, the room where Giuseppe Verdi passed away. The hotel bar, with a pleasantly retro appearance, is always very peaceful, even though it is located downtown: walking into this place is like entering a sort of parallel dimension. Ancient and very elaborate, playful yet melancholic at the same time. Another place that I hold in my heart and that is located just a few steps away is the Libreria Armani, one of the earliest fashion bookshops in Milan. It is also one of the most comprehensive ones, where I can always find very rare publications, such as essays and international magazines, that are impossible to find elsewhere in Milan. For fashion lovers it’s a little garden of delights, where one can spend a few very pleasant minutes. Lastly, Palazzo Morando, in via S. Andrea, which is also in the heart of the fashion district. The Palazzo is located inside a breathtaking noble residence (whose main structure dates back to the 1500s) and today hosts the Fashion Museum, where the dress collection of the Sforza Castle is stored. And the calendar of exhibitions organized at Palazzo Morando is always very interesting. For me, it’s a place worth visiting».

2

On the eve of the Fashion Week, how do you see the incoming catwalk season in Milan?

«There’s a lot of buzz about it, because – with all the “first times”, “last times” and “times of passage” – many interesting things will be unfolding. Talking about the first times, there’s a great curiosity about Tom Ford’s debut in Milan under Peter Hawkings’ new creative direction. In general, however, it’s a moment worth watching carefully because it’s a transitional moment, a shift towards quiet luxury; so, we’ll see how creatives will tackle the concept. This edition will mark a turning point between what belongs to the past and what belongs to the future».

3

How does Andrea Batilla see eyewear?

«Eyewear is one of the most interesting and mysterious accessories, because it changes the visual construction of our faces, i.e. how others perceive us. Frames are very specific objects that recall very specific historical and cultural contexts. While we can feel confused about how to dress, when we choose a frame to wear it’s always like walking into a movie. We become the main characters in this movie. It’s a magical experience. And eyewear is the only accessory that gives us this experience. Also, because it is the only one that is worn so close to the body».

One of Carlo Scarpa’s masterpieces

Straddling architecture and design

It is in the extraordinary setting of the historic Olivetti showroom in Venice, under the loggia of the Procuratie Vecchie, the space skilfully designed by Carlo Scarpa in 1957 for Adriano Olivetti which has been reopened to the public thanks to FAI, that Marcolin wanted to set the new campaign for its Web Eyewear line autumn-winter collection. This was no accidental choice, given the affinity between the elegant intelligence of the great Venetian architect – also translated into extreme attention to detail – and the sophisticated taste coupled with knowledge of materials expressed by the Marcolin brand.

 

Form and substance

The Olivetti showroom, an authentic work of art arranged over two floors, welcomes visitors with the sculpture-fountain entitled Nudo al sole [Naked in the Sun] by Alberto Viani, a gilded bronze work from 1956 (and recently restored) that Scarpa had placed in a black Belgian stone basin filled with water to reflect its upside-down image. But the real stroke of genius is the staircase that dominates the central hall, with its steps made of Aurisina marble, widely used in Venice until the Middle Ages, which seem to be suspended in the void and lend a sense of lightness and airiness to the whole room. Above, in the small areas formed by the two long galleries, a number of historic Olivetti typewriters and calculating machines, themselves examples of Italian design excellence, are on display. Like the frames from the Web Eyewear collection, Marcolin’s house brand created in 2008 and now known the world over.

Transparencies that are echoed in the acetate frames with titanium details from the new Web Eyewear season.

The light of Venice

The themes of light and water therefore dominate the space of the Olivetti showroom, the forerunner of modern flagship stores. Two elements that are known to characterise Venetian topography and art, and which are evoked here by a skilful use of natural light. And of the materials, mixed in a continuous play on colour contrasts and transparencies: from the marble and Murano glass floor (Scarpa began his career in the Murano glassworks) to the African teak and rosewood of the balconies, through to the bevelled crystal glass display cases. Transparencies that are echoed in the acetate frames with titanium details from the new Web Eyewear season. The lightness of which, enhanced for this campaign by the lens of American fashion photographer Nicolas Kern, conveys the idea of simple, contemporary elegance. Minimalist design, natural colours, textured effects and transparencies: as in Scarpa’s architecture, the beauty of these glasses lies in each individual detail. And this, perhaps, is the key to successfully combining style and comfort, sophistication and functionality. In architecture as in product design.

How is a pair of glasses created?

The Tumbling Stage

Round, irregular, butterfly or cat-eye. And then metal or acetate, black or coloured: these are the infinite ways in which frames can surround our eyes, bringing the best out in them. Not everyone knows, however, which and how many special processes go into making a pair of glasses. Lara Marogna, Group Style & Product Development at Marcolin, explains one of the most important and delicate processes: tumbling. “Its name comes from the machine that is used, the tumbler. This is the name given to the cylindrical machine, also known as the ‘barrel’, which is divided into tanks inside which, once the shaping is complete, the frame fronts and temples that will later make up the glasses are inserted, together with pieces of beech and birch wood of different sizes and balls of abrasive paste. At this point, the machine is closed and started up: the tumbler starts to turn on itself at a speed that can vary depending on the material (metal or acetate), and with each rotation, by dropping and rubbing, pieces of wood and abrasive pastes do the job of roughing, polishing and final buffing of the frames.” A long job because, for each of the three stages, the tumbler runs continuously for 12 to 14 hours.

The importance of the right mix

At each step, when the tumbler is unloaded, the workers check the frames one by one. And when it’s time to fill it back up, they must know how to perfectly dose the pieces of wood and paste that make up the polishing material mixture. And they can do this by checking by touch that it is neither too dry nor too oily; therefore, experience and knowledge of materials are required. It is precisely the right balance of these ingredients that gives an excellent result. A pair of glasses in which every detail of the frame is perfect for its function, therefore resistant but also aesthetically impeccable.” And Laura Marogna, who began her professional career in the world of jewellery, knows that it is from the care of these stages, which take place behind the scenes in a factory, that we can obtain a glamorous and elegant product, capable of making us dream and enhancing our personal style.

A Three-Stage Journey

After this period, the tumbler is opened and the frames are checked one by one (for the uninitiated, it is surprising to see how at each step, the frames are more beautiful and shinier). Next, they are put into another tumbler, where the next stage runs for another 12-14 hours. In all, the process takes four days to achieve the result of a perfectly smooth and shiny frame. Ready to be finished and leave the factory.

It is not, however, a purely mechanical process, where the tumbler does everything: what makes the difference in tumbling is the human touch, thanks to the eyes and hands of the workers who manage and follow the whole process.

 

Back to work

Sophisticated and innovative

With their thickness, exceptional touches of color and a design that nods to – and reinterprets – the Sixties and the Seventies, TOM FORD Eyewear frames demand the spotlight. Oversized, eye-catching yet elegant, these dramatic frames are perfectly matched with the personality of wearers who, in their private and work life, stay true to a classy style. Starting from their accurate selection of details, fabrics or accessories. But not only: they are also youthful, innovation-oriented, and curious about the future. A style that has its roots in luxury but that stands out for its forward-thinking vision.

 

A style that has its roots in luxury but that stands out for its forward-thinking vision

Casual and essential

The new GANT Eyewear collection expresses the unmistakable sporty spirit of a brand born in America in 1949 with frames combining a contemporary and dynamic style with precious, iconic little details. These optical styles stand out with their linear and elegant frames, such as the – ultra-lightweight yet flexible and strong – metal silhouettes. Comfortable and adjustable, they are the ideal choice for wearers who, in their everyday lives, feel perfectly at ease with a casual, essential and minimalist style. For people who want zero complications.

 

Comfortable and adjustable, they are the ideal choice for wearers who, in their everyday lives, feel perfectly at ease with a casual and minimalist style

Elegant and glamorous

Poised between Robert Redford’s style and 1980s-inspired retro futurism: teardrop optical frames unfailingly convey a timeless allure. Intellectual yet glamorous, like Zegna Eyewear accurately crafted metal frames, they are the right choice for wearers who love a refined style without sacrificing a vintage touch. A style that looks to the past and is thus reassuring and puts everybody at ease. But that is far from boring: with a few skillfully revisited details, the great classics make a glitzy comeback.

Valtteri Bottas 

1

Since the very beginning in Fomula One in 2013, to Alfa Romeo Team in 2022. What was the biggest challenge on this journey: the one with yourself, with the other racing drivers or with the Formula One cars?

For me the biggest challenge has been always adapting. Whether it’s a different team and different tracks, different cars each year, always trying to adapt and make the most out of the situation and quite often it’s a new situation. Technology has been another challenge. Things keep on changing and improving as it is a really innovating sport. So staying on top of your game on the technical knowledge side is a challenge.

2

Is there a special circuit where you feel more comfortable to win and why?

For me a special one is Japan. First of all, because of the track – it’s like a big rollercoaster, it’s so fun to drive – but among all the things is the culture, so different from the European countries. Then the fans are so well behaved and supportive to everyone. On top of that, there is Japanese food. It’s always a nice compromise to go to. 

3

How do dynamism and innovation of your profession coexist in your everyday life?

I would say that also the lifestyle is very busy. Outside the race weekends you are always travelling, always moving and, at the same time, you are trying to keep the best energy levels possible from the start of the season to the end. It is a dynamic and very innovative sport. There is always stuff coming on. There are always new things that you need to learn, new tools to help you to be better whether it’s analysing the data and the telemetry of the driving or whether it’s simulating the set ups for the following weekend. Basically, from when I started F1 to nowadays, there is so much more information and tools to help your performance as a driver but also the cars performance. You really need to make sure that you always understand the situation understanding the data. There is so much stuff that you have to prioritize on which things you focus to be able to perform the best. 

Lenses for travelling

The Göreme Valley

The Montgolfier brothers, inventors of the first balloon to transport people, could never have imagined it: the hot air balloon experience is still one of the most impressive for gliding through the sky. One of the best places to enjoy the magic of the landscape seen from above is the Göreme Valley in the unique historical region of Cappadocia. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, it is dotted with rocks of volcanic origin and religious architecture from pre-Christian times weathered by the ravages of time. The result is a surreal landscape. Impossible to distinguish myth from fairytale, not even the multifaceted forms carved into the rock, rebaptised the ‘fairy chimneys’, where the earth meets the sky, offer a solution. To enjoy the magnificence of the scenery, it is possible to take advantage of the bright morning light or the warm hues of sunset. To accompany the thrill of the flight, we refer to a legend in the world of eyewear: the aviator models once designed for pilots, still capable of surprising in the reinterpretations in the Marcolin collections. Combining a classic with contemporary design details.

To accompany the thrill of the flight we refer to the pilots models, still capable of surprising in the reinterpretations in the Marcolin collections

Trieste – Vienna round trip

Once upon a time there was the Habsburg Empire, the year was 1857. The inauguration of the line from Vienna to Trieste, the most important outlet on the Adriatic Sea, transformed the missing link into what would go down in history as the southern railway line and go on to enable the aristocracy south of the empire to land on the shores of the Adriatic, revitalising trade on both routes. Today, that railway line’s historic network has been restored, making it possible to reach Vienna from Trieste along the old route. This is slow travel. Watching the landscapes pass by, starting from the shores of Istria of yesteryear, across the rugged mountain ridge of the Simmering and then up through Styria, always window-side are the sights you will see under the lenses of your glasses. If art and culture are on your agenda this summer, once you arrive in Vienna, the highlight is the Austrian National Library, with its Gala Hall: you will not have access to the over 200,000 volumes on display, but you will be able to admire the baroque splendour of the court library, one of the most beautiful in the world. We suggest graduating the experience through understated, elegant frames, the result of the time-forged expertise of the Marcolin brand.

Bells Beach

Cherchez la femme! urged Alexandre Dumas père, in his novel Les Mohicans de Paris, to imply that women are the direct or indirect cause of events, even if these events are apparently unrelated to the women in question. With the Women’s World Cup coming into full swing this August in Australia and New Zealand, we turn to Oceania. Following the Italian national team is an opportunity to travel around the Australian continent chasing waves, heading for beaches whose miles of sand or rocks make them a surfers’ paradise. For the more experienced, equipped with the best lenses to shield their eyes from the sun’s rays and wrap-around silhouettes to protect them from the water and salt, Marcolin sets up a rendezvous at Bells Beach, the birthplace of surfing in Australia and the setting for Point Break, the cult film for lovers of the most spectacular water sport ever. For mere inquisitive onlookers, however, there is the Australian National Surfing Museum and Hall of Fame near the beach to trace the history of surfing and its most iconic boards.

Rendezvous at Bells Beach equipped with the best lenses to shield from the sun’s rays and to protect the eyes from the water and salt

Frames and Storylines

Craftsmanship as a point of view

To define the craftsmanship of a pair of glasses from a literary point of view, we could use the narrative point of view as a term of comparison since, depending on the angle from which one chooses to tell a story, this captures different cues and emotions from the subject of the storyline. A company like Marcolin is measured by the meticulousness and care of its production: the quality of the materials, the creativity of the design and the manufacturing expertise speak of a dedication to its uniqueness. This dedication mirrors the stories selected. Each book is a miniature collection of stories linked by a point of view that has the construction or discovery of strong, authentic characters at its heart: beyond the glitz and the glory, like the protagonists of the stories in Vite minuscole [Small Lives] by Pierre Michon, a classic from the 1980s, which launched a first-time author into the literary fold by virtue of the power of his language. The need to meet one’s destiny is echoed by Francesca D’Aloja’s Spiriti [Spirits], not as phantasmagorical entities but as enlightened people committed to being fully themselves. Adding historical context to a novel with a compelling narrative structure are the four different points of view that unravel through the pages of Trust by Hernan Diaz. Discovering the face of a woman who has remained in the shadows of history is their mission.

The style of a pair of glasses conveys the personality of the wearer. Defining its tone and calibrating its timbre is, likewise, the purpose of a narrative voice.

The power of the narrative voice

The style of a pair of glasses conveys the personality of the wearer. Defining its tone and calibrating its timbre is, likewise, the purpose of a narrative voice. What defines the style of a Marcolin collection with a distinct contemporary twist? That ability to dose practicality and uniqueness by refining a detail, which, like the narrative voice of the protagonist of a story, can precisely convey the coordinates of a storyline or a feeling. For this reason, our selection has given voice to poets. First and foremost, to that of Antonia Pozzi, as a sculptor of the soul, who expresses her deepest voice with the delicacy of a young bird on its first flight in her collection of love poems entitled Poesie d’amore. And if you are eager to tune in to the tones and vibrations of someone who has long sought the deep voice of the narrator’s self not only between the pages of her stories, but also travelling through Europe in search of a writer who voluntarily eclipsed herself from the world, Nome in codice: Elitar I. Sulle tracce di Milan Kundera [Code Name Elitar I. In the Footsteps of Milan Kundera] by well-known French journalist Ariane Chemin will take you on a journey through a nostalgic Europe full of fervour. If you want to bet on a letter, as the gambler does on the colour, then there is Kappa: volume 6 is dedicated to Magic, in its different meanings.

Post scriptum

For sailors about to set sail or simply ready to relax the pace to fully enjoy the beginning of August. There is no journey without movement. Whether it is a motion of the heart, an inspiration or a carefree wander through towns and cities, familiar or unfamiliar places, the combination in question brings together the daring. The colours that of the eyewear, in Marcolin’s collections are its outfit. And in these capacities, we offer two readings: Come ti vesti [How You Dress] by Andrea Batilla, and A Manchester con gli Smith, un walkabout musicale, [In Manchester with the Smiths, A Musical Walkabout] by Giuseppina Borghese, because every outfit you wear needs a soundtrack to accompany it.