The coolest eyewear
Berlin’s MYKITA: Made for Shade & the Pix to Prove It!
To make an elegant spectacle of yourself, look no further than Mykita. Eyewear kaisers Philipp Haffmans and Harald Gottschling’s Mitte flagship stocks an extensive range of own-brand specs.
Mykita, Berlin
MYKITA’s Colour FLASH
MYKITA was founded 2003 by Harald Gottschling, Daniel Haffmans, Philipp Haffmans and Moritz Krueger. What to some may sound like an Asian-style name was in fact inspired by the firm’s first premises – a former day-care centre for children (in East Germany abbreviated to „Kita“).
Just a year later, the world was introduced to MYKITA *Collection No.1* – an evolutionary step up in terms of both design and exclusivity. The all-new range of metal frames was unveiled at the Silmo international eyewear fair in the fall of 2004. A highly innovative functional design comprising simple plug connections made complex soldered joints and screw connections redundant, while the frames themselves were cut out of stainless sheet steel before being folded into form. As well as being incredibly light, the latter could be adjusted to the wearer thanks to a wide variety of configuration options. The corrective spectacles andunglasses in the collection ranged from the classically elegant to avantgarde designs in a wide range of frame colours. A frame for every face. Exactly two years later, a new collection was unveiled at the 2006 Silmo. In a marked departure from previous frames, MYKITA *Collection No.2* were made from full-bodied acetate – a material that enjoys a huge tradition in the eyewear industry. What set the new spectacles apart was the hinge – a connecting element that hugs the front and temples in the style of a sheath. The designs are crisp, clear and distinctive and are each related to frames from the metal collection. A carefully selected range of nine distinct colours gives *Collection No.2* a varied but nonetheless homogenous collective look. All frames are hand-made at MYKITA’s own production site in Berlin and are available at over 1,400 high-end opticians and selected department stores across the globe.
These glasses are made with top-quality stainless steel, just 0.5 mm thick, ensuring an ultra-light feel. The actual production of MYKITA eyewear sees every part of the frame cut out of sheet metal and folded into a lightweight but full-bodied format. Linking these is a remarkably elegant and intelligent screw-less hinge design that ensures total flexibility and allows complete, custom-fit adaptability of inclination and frame according to the wearers’ facial proportions. The technical wizardry is coupled with aesthetic clarity and optimum vision to provide a recognisable trademark for MYKITA. To apply most of the colours featured in the collection, MYKITA chose a PVD finish – a state-of-the-art vacuum-heat coating technique that guarantees a non-oxidizing and highly wear-resistant surface. The prescription frames in *Collection No.1* are available in a choice of ten colours, the sunglasses in eight colours. MYKITA collection No. 1 – over 50 styles available in a choice of 10 colours.
The MYKITA design team had for some time been planning to make a collection incorporating a fuller-bodied material, and eventually decided on cellulose acetate. Basically composed of cotton, wood pulp, acetate and pigments, it is a natural material that has a long tradition in the eyewear industry. *Collection No.2* indeed shares a variety of features with the original concept. It features a “snap-hinge” made of 0.8 mm flat sheet metal familiar from the construction principles applied in the first collection. A major new innovation was the use of photomechanical etching technology. The connection point between the hinge and the acetate frame likewise represented a unique challenge for the designers. The fourteen prescription styles and six sunglasses are available in a range of opaque colours, with no lamination.
Mykita glasses are made with the best-quality stainless steel ensuring an ultra-light feel. Each part of the frame is folded into a lightweight but full-bodied format. A state of the art vacuum-heat coating guarantees non-oxidizing and highly wear-resistant finishes. MYKITA frames are all about: timeless designs, lightweight, flexibility, and comfort.
MYKITA’s Colour FLASH
Get flashed by *MYKITA FLASH*, a line which adds some vivacity and life to MYKITA’s collection no. 1. The flat metal collection is renowned for its innovative screw less glasses with timeless designs, coupled with unique wearing comfort due to the extreme lightness and flexibility of the material.
For this first edition of the *FLASH* line MYKITA brings you a trio of its most popular signature aviator frames: Rolf, Hector and Elliot. These aviators, true MYKITA classics, gain a new life through this vivid splash of paint.
Each frame comes in each of the three colours; neon yellow and blazing orange make sure your face stands out in a crowd, vibrant tank-grey is cool as concrete.
Rolf, looking very fresh in this execution, is a classic aviator shape, which rapidly became Mykita’s most wanted item. Hector, a rather square shape aviator exudes 80’s cool, thus is the perfect pair for hanging out at the beach club or even night club. Elliot, a metropolitan curved shape with a very smooth look, guarantees perfect eye protection.
The new colour coating, made of the highest quality Swiss lacquer, is meticulously applied by hand in several coats. The paint is then fixed onto the metal base, coat by coat, in a hot oven. As per all MYKITA frames, the *FLASH* collection is fully handmade in the Berlin manufactory.
To put it in a nutshell, a mini collection of aviators to suit every face, executed in flashy trend colours, all hand made in Germany.
GÖTTI SWITZERLAND WINNER OF THE SWISS ECONOMIC AWARD 2008 31.05.2008
For ten years now a jury of high qualified experts of the sections economy and education award the business performance of innovative enterprises. The SWISS ECONOMIC AWARD is known as one of the most significant economical prize of Switzerland. 130 applications were examined. From the three finalists of the category production/trade (business) the jury chose Götti SWITZERLAND as the winner of 2008. “This important award not only shows us that we’re on the right way, but also motivates us to develop much more.” SVEN GÖTTI to be honest - we are very proud. But on 23rd May 2008 together with Götti SWITZERLAND was also the most important part of our company awarded: our loyal customers and friends in Switzerland and in 32 additional countries that support us and share our philosophy with us.
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