Swedish frame design company Ego is hoping its Scandinavian styling will start to find favour in the UK as practices look for frames with personality. Rory Brogan speaks to Ego UK representative Anders Feuk
When it comes to test marketing product to spot trends, global companies are increasingly turning to Sweden, which has a small and discerning population, allowing researchers to see how a trend travels.
Anders Feuk, export manager of Ego Optiska AB, says: 'People pick up trends, they travel very quickly. In general people have the attitude "If he can buy it, I can buy it".'
This willingness to try something new, he suggests, might be influenced by the political scene, having had the Social Democrats in power for many years, up until a recent change in government.
Eyewear trends move quickly too and while Ego does extremely well in its home market, which is the Nordic Countries - Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland - it is now making a renewed push to spread its product further through the UK optical market.
'Ego will, after its trial with an operation in Warrington, continue to be present in the future, either through its own sales force or in collaboration with a UK-based distributor. The work to decide which way to go is under evaluation. One thing is for sure, we will speed up our activities,' says Feuk.
The company was set up in Sweden in 1961 and saw substantial growth when it became the distributor of L'Amy products in the 1970s, becoming the fourth largest distributor of Lacoste in the world. During the 90s, the company created its own design team and the philosophy of licensing brands.
He describes the company's lines as excellent Scandinavian design with the trademark of being not too far out and very sellable, still with a Scandinavian twist, although he admits the brands may not be so well known over here.
'Our brands are not very well known in the UK market, but they give added value and there is a story behind them. An example is FACE Stockholm, from the non-allergenic, non-animal tested make-up brand, which has become a celebrity thing in the US. The frames are colourful and feminine.' Feuk describes them as a mix of old and new, many featuring cut-out patterns on the metal sides.
Feuk adds that when opticians go in the same direction as everyone else, furnishing practices with the biggest and best known names, all shops tend to carry the same product and lack the personal touch. Ego believes it will become more and more important to show the customers' own choices in the buying of frames.
'Our collections come in just under the prices of the most prestigious brands, where I think a trend has started to find stand-out quality, design and personality.
'We are typically Nordic design, attracting a wide group of potential buyers. In most independent shops we are the fresh new thing to have. Scandinavian design is fresh and sellable, a little different to what's around in shops. When we get into the practice we have no problem selling to the end customer,' he says.
One name that will be familiar in the UK, though not necessarily because of the eyewear, is Björn Borg. This is actually Ego's top selling brand in volume terms and some new concept stores offering Björn Borg clothing and its famous underwear are being set up in the UK at the start of 2007.
Scandinavian style can also be found in brands like Tiger of Sweden (pictured above) and J Lindberg, for example, but one of the company's most recent launches was a UK name in Lyle & Scott. 'Lyle & Scott does particularly well with its brightly coloured knitwear in Sweden. It's a golf brand, with a widely spread popularity revived among young trendy people, and we have kept to the roots with the eyewear,' says Feuk.
The Lyle & Scott line has trendy styles including double-bridged models with dark colours on the outer frame and pale colours on the inner, for example the Haddington and Buckburn designs.
UK COMMITMENT
Ego works a lot in titanium in all the brands, acetate making up 30-35 per cent. 'We have a lot of bigger sizes as there is still a demand and a good business opportunity in having good design for multifocal lenses. We've also got smaller styles for the younger guy who works in a bank, for example.'
In another development, the company has hired an Italian designer, Marco Benetti, who has a strong pedigree in Tom Ford and Dolce & Gabanna, to work on sunwear.
Another aspect of Ego International that Feuk highlights is the company's ties with it customers, working closely together, with overseas conferences, that include trend gurus speaking on fashion, marketing and development. 'Our customers are always in focus,' Feuk adds.
'There's a soul to the company, it's customer-related and we haven't had a chance to prove that in the UK so far,' says Feuk, who promises to involve UK customers in the future.
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