Harvey Dhadwar of UK Eyewear Distribution (left) collects the award on behalf of Rolf Spectacles from ABDO’s Kevin Gutsell (third from the left)
Rolf Spectacles collected the ‘Frame of the Year’ award at the Optician Awards last November for its Substance Kids Collection.
Christian Wolf, head of marketing, says the Rolf family was ‘stunned and extremely happy’ to be honoured with the award, especially having been shortlisted in the same category in 2014.
‘For Rolf, the awards given by members and professionals of the optical industry are of great importance. It is confirmation of the path we took years ago to produce sustainable and honest products,’ he says. ‘To prevail against other renowned eyewear labels is always an honour and, of course, a surprise.’
The awards judges praised the brand’s ‘sustainable, in-house resource-saving approach’ along with the ‘use of sales teams as trainers, materials and sustainability from durability’.
Rolf Spectacles is well-known for its green credentials. Protecting the environment and acting sustainably has been the brand’s corporate credo since launching in 2009 and it remains committed to creating high quality eyewear by hand and with natural materials entirely at home in Tyrol, Austria.
‘Climate change, nature conservation and sustainability are omnipresent topics for Rolf, also in the development of the corporate strategy,’ says Wolf.
The company’s ‘sustainable, highly resilient, adaptable, light-as-a-feather and well-balanced’ frames are produced entirely in-house from plant-based materials, offering durability and timeless design. Focusing on high-end independent opticians who are looking for a niche, sustainable product, Rolf offers an exclusive sales team to partner practices in sales and after-service.
Style with substance
The winning Substance Kids Collection is an extension of Rolf’s ‘Substance Collection’ for adults. Designed for young people who would like to wear a sustainable, 3D printed frame, the collection is described by the company as ‘modern, poppy and even a bit iconic’.
‘The line extends the Substance collection to a new generation of wearers with sustainability at the heart of the concept,’ says Wolf.
The children’s ‘bean glasses’ are light as a feather, extremely robust, screwless, perfectly adjustable, plant-based, sustainable and produced in one place. Oil made from the castor bean plant or ‘miracle tree’, found naturally in Southern Europe, Africa and the Arab world, which can grow up to six metres in four months, is ground into a powder, that then becomes the starting material for the bean glasses.
‘This new natural material, from a plant in the euphorbiaceae family, has proven to be extremely versatile. It has opened up a host of new possibilities and as a material, its durability credentials are particularly impressive,’ says Wolf.
Six wearable shapes include a fun oval design, ‘Cony’; a squarish eye shape, ‘Lamb’; and a two-panto variation, ‘Seal’ and ‘Joey’, described by the company as having a subtle retro feel; along with ‘Coot’ and ‘Swan’, all in a variety of exciting colour combinations, including similar tones to the adult frames in the line.
Rolf’s patented and award-winning Flexlock screwless hinge can be printed at the same time as the frame using 3D printing technology, so that each new frame can be manufactured in a single operation, limiting the need to use external suppliers.
‘Wearers benefit from the flexible, natural and nature-friendly properties of the plant-based material. The latest printing technology makes it possible to implement intricate surfaces and playful add-ons, including even very complex geometries,’ adds Wolf.
Robust quality
According to the company, the bean glasses are so robust it is possible to drive over them without breaking the frames or damaging the hinges, which can be twisted in every direction.
The Substance collection has the added advantage of being inexpensive compared to Rolf’s other luxury and unique ‘Wood’ and ‘Stone’ collections, and, therefore, more cost-effective, especially for younger wearers.
This spring, ‘Substance Mount Sun’, an additional part of the Substance collection, has been extended with 80 limited edition pieces landing in 20 selected optical stores across Europe. The designs, characterised by ‘distinctive shapes’, are particularly suitable as sunglasses and sports glasses.
‘Larger shapes offer protection from the sun and the thicker temple with the flexlock hinge guarantees stability and comfort,’ says Wolf. ‘The sun lenses are super anti-reflective and feature a grey gradient shatterproof lens that provides total protection during sports activities.’
Wolf adds that Rolf has also ‘just invested in new machines that will enable us to achieve our goal of making the perfect frame’.
‘Rolf is the absolute pioneer in the development of sustainably produced spectacle frames and the company is constantly developing new technologies using ever-new materials. Rolf thrives on making the world a better place with every pair of glasses we make,’ he says.
Shortlisted finalists include:
- Hakim Group
- Eyespace
- Millmead Optical Group
- l.a.Eyeworks