There’s something for everybody in Ralph Vaessen’s 2011 eyewear collection, from sunglasses that look perfect for intellectual divas to frames with an architectural edge or styles echoing the classic shapes favoured by the characters in Fellini’s 8 ½.
Vaessen’s glasses also appear in Paula van der Oest’s new film, Black Butterflies, starring Carice van Houten, Liam Cunningham and Rutger Hauer.
This is not the only connection the designer currently entertains with the world of cinema: a while back Anton Corbijn, David Lynch and John Malkovich donated a pair of Vaessen sunglasses to Door Een Bekende Bril, a charity project working on preventing blindness in the Philippines.
What’s new in Ralph Vaessen’s world?
Ralph Vaessen: There are some very exciting news: I’m now working on my first clothes and footwear collection that will be presented at the Pitti trade fair in January and in March during Paris Fashion Week.
Where does the inspiration for the new eyewear collection come from?
Ralph Vaessen: Old movies and indie music clips. The squarish frame for the “Lies” glasses was indeed inspired by a music videoclip. Like the “Willemijn” frames, I actually designed it for fun and wasn’t trying to make any kind of special statement about fashion, but it turned out as the strongest style in my new collection. I didn’t expect that to be honest, but I must admit it looks really great on any kind of face as it perfectly manages to highlight different shapes.
The new film shot to accompany your new collection is very sensual, who directed it?
Ralph Vaessen: I shot it together with my regular photographer and filmmaker Hessel Waalewijn. It was inspired by the general atmosphere of Bond movies and by Paolo Sorrentino’s The Consequences of Love, a film that recounts the story of two people meeting in a hotel and falling in love. I guess there is also something about Lost in Translation in it, though in my short the main characters fall in love because they both share the same taste for eyewear!
Has celebrity endorsement impacted on your business?
Ralph Vaessen: Yes, I believe it did. It gave my brand more authority also because style icons such as Kate Moss, Rihanna, Pharrell and Christian Louboutin opted for my frames. But I’m also very proud that strong personalities like David Lynch, John Malkovich and my personal heroes Anton Corbijn and Ian McCulloch appreciate my eyewear as well
…and your eyewear is appearing also in Paula van der Oest's film Black Butterflies?
Ralph Vaessen: Yes, I’m very happy about it, since this is a very beautiful movie recounting the story of Apartheid-era South African poet and writer Ingrid Jonker, who lived from 1933 to 1965. The main role is played by Dutch actress and style icon Carice van Houten who also starred in Black Book and Valkyrie. My eyewear will also appear in another movie and on a couple of album covers, but you will have to stay tuned to know more about it!
Do you feel that people are keener to invest on timeless eyewear at the moment, because of the lingering crisis?
Ralph Vaessen: I think that’s indeed the case, but I also believe that more and more people are buying timeless products that last longer because they are opting for sustainable lifestyles. The horn I use for my eyewear is a residual waste product, for example, so I recycle a waste product from nature.
Is there a fashion designer/fashion house you’d like to collaborate with one day and maybe design a special eyewear line for?
Ralph Vaessen: No one in particular, though I have a few favourite designers and fashion houses in mind: Viktor & Rolf would be great because they are Dutch as well. There is already a Dutch fashion brand and two fashion/department stores in New York that asked me to design eyewear for them, though, at the moment, I’m still in two minds about these projects.
Do you have any tips for young designers who’d like to tap into the eyewear market?
Ralph Vaessen: I believe that if you do your own thing and you are authentic, you’ll manage to find your niche. So, just do it and, if you have talent, you will succeed!
Ralph Vaessen’s new designs are currently available from Colette.
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