The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2024 - Issue 35

ReadOn biteglasses Images courtesy of read on via Nina Maria Glahé E yewear innovators Sandra Kaufmann and Moni- ca Fink searched for the perfect frame to fit them correctly before establishing their cutting-edge Swiss eyewear brand, Sol Sol Ito. “We both wear glasses, me for distance and Monika for better close-up vision,” Sandra told Eyestylist online. “With our different opti- cal prescriptions, we felt this was a good starting point. Our brand name came from Sausalito, the seaside town north of San Francisco.” After an apprenticeship in design engineering, Moni- ka studied sculptural art in Barcelona and Geneva, and Sandra worked as an industrial engineer with years of experience in the Swiss watch industry. While a student, she desired to work at French industrial architect and engineer Philippe Starck's studio. Instead, she worked and learned extensively about glasses from Alain Mikli, his close friend and collection eyewear partner, whose creative designs have captured the imagination of glass- es wearers worldwide. The two women stay true to their individual approach- es and reference traditional Swiss values, precision and perfection, relating to the contemporary demand for sustainability, authenticity and individuality. “We con- nect selected materials with careful craftsmanship and the newest innovation in manufacturing.” Sol Sol Ito’s accolades include the Swiss Design Award in 2013, the Red Dot Award in 2014, the Creative Hub Winner and the Pro Helvetia Matching Grant in 2019. Their eyewear is deeply influenced by the Bauhaus movement founded in Weimar by German architect Walter Gropius. The Staatliches Bauhaus was an art school operating from 1919 to 1933 that combined crafts and the fine arts. Its radical concept reimagined the material world to reflect the unity of the arts, em- phasising simplicity and high-quality craftsmanship in the brand’s glasses. Each frame is a limited edition with 50 pairs produced. Sol Sol Ito has earned global recognition for its inno- vative and stylish frames since its inception in 2012, blending avant-garde aesthetics with practical function- ality. The brand’s meticulous design, using high-quality materials like acetate for the frame fronts and steel fili- gree temples, connected by a distinctive plug-in system, enhances durability and ensures a sleek, modern look, establishing Sol Sol Ito as a trusted and renowned eye- wear brand.