2012年12月9日星期日

我最敬重的人物:日本白山眼鏡店第四代主腦"白山將視"


白山眼鏡店第四代主腦"白山將視"Masami Shirayama

在全球眼鏡業界中,我最敬重的人物:日本白山眼鏡店第四代主腦"白山將視",



白山先生傳事蹟:

當年白山家居於日本第一間白山眼鏡"上野店",前鋪後居,1950年白山將視就是出生於上野店.

 1883年:白山有限公司(Hakusan Co.,Ltd) 建立在NINGO町

1938年:白山將視先生的父親設立了白山堂(Shirayama)開始了零售生意,家庭和深川市開店鋪門前仲町

1945年深川門前仲町店在戰爭期間被燒毀。 

1946年:正式名為"白山眼鏡店"(Hakusan Megane) 在目前的位置上野開設第一間白山眼鏡店。 

1972:白山先生學習手造眼鏡架製作和去英國遊學。 

1974年返回英國加入上野白山眼鏡店"(Hakusan Magane,co,Ltd)

1975年設計白山眼鏡店第一副眼鏡"HANK“

1976年發布的第二副眼鏡“‘BRIGG’ ,(由於當時日本眼鏡零售業界多是售賣外國牌子,本地牌子亦多複製歐洲或美洲款式),當時父親和業界並不認同"自家設計"甚至不肯為他生產,最後他找了一位傳統手製師父以自己空閒時間生產,每月產量20至40副(為持了約4年時間).

1979年:國際巨星John Lennon認識白山眼鏡店並一次購買了白山先生設計的Mayfair分別的3款顏色共3對並經常配戴,當時得到約翰·列儂認同對白山先生起了莫大鼓勵,其後白山先生再為John Lennon設計和生產另一款式"WINSTON",但約翰·列儂被刺殺而無法收到白山先生心意,成其一憾事. 其後"WINSTON"成為日本首席型像美術設計師"大久保篤志"經常配戴之款式,大久保篤志 其下品牌 The Stylist Japan 亦曾聯同白山眼鏡店推出以Winston為設計籃本的John Lennon紀念辨"J-WINSTON"

另外由於John Lennon戴着Mayfair被害,白山先生決定永不生產Mayfair. 

1980年:由於當時"自家設計"仍未得到家族的認同,白山先生離開白山眼鏡店,並找到生產線每月生產400副手造架,以個人理念在青山開創了另一個品牌商店"Craftsmanship"

1984年:"自家設計"開始受人著目,成績得到家族認同,由其父親要請回到白山眼鏡店, 白山先生正式掌管並進行改革,到今天白山眼鏡店只售賣自家品牌和設計,所有款式亦是由白山先生一人設計.

由於當時日本所有眼鏡店所有員工都是穿著白色醫生袍作制服,白山先生要求所有員工除下白袍並要求所有員工dress up自己以更自由的方式表現經營.

白山先生是一個十分有原則的成功業界前輩,透過個人的毅力'堅持'改變了時代,實在感激他給了我和Visual Culture team合作機會!




2012年11月5日星期一

今天是美國Moscot第四代掌舵人 Kenny Moscot離世2周年


今天是美國Moscot第四代掌舵人 Kenny Moscot離世2周年,十分欣賞Kenny,並不是因為世界各地的名人’名星追隨配戴Moscot眼鏡,而是欣賞Kenny把美國眼鏡文化燃續至今天的世界各落,他是第一個把美國30’s至70’s文化眼鏡款式重新推向21世紀的世界舞台,由於Moscot在美國已經營超過100年光學眼鏡生意,十分之了解過往美國眼鏡款式的發展,他們了解30’s至70’s是美國眼鏡光輝歷史,而70’s後亞洲平價成本生產影響了當時的美國直至衰落,須然這樣,他們沒有因為這大氣候的影響還持續發展自家品牌張這些成為美國歷史款式得以燃續,至2000年Kenny張家族生意開始發展海外業務,他Target世界很多潮流店為銷售點,用了8年時間,改變了眼鏡產品只在眼鏡舖銷售的傳統,由於這個想法,打通了傳統工藝與年青流橋樑,像法國的Collette店當時是第一次引入傳統手工藝眼鏡,亦打破了流店只售賣時裝品牌的模式,結果大受歡迎,令美國文化眼鏡再次主導世界市場.



2012年8月25日星期六

Typical被看成Atypical















視覺文化Visual Culture

引言

提起紅酒,大家總覺得法國人是很懂得品評和欣賞紅酒的;而懂得咖啡愛喝咖啡,也是意大利人給人的感覺。這是因為紅酒和咖啡,早已是法國人和意大利人生活的一部份,經年累月沈澱着文化和歷史的韻味。

香港是全球佩戴眼鏡人口比例最高的城市,眼鏡是不少人的生活必需品,但當提起眼鏡,大家卻不認為香港人對眼鏡文化很有認識。其實香港戴眼鏡的經驗不會比其他國家的人少。

Visual Culture的創立,正是希望透過對眼鏡的知識和平台,匯集、累積和分享香港人戴眼鏡的文化,這種精神就是Visual Culture一直堅守的經營理念。

Typical被看成Atypical
90年代初至2000年代中,零售市場上的中高檔眼鏡多為時裝品牌的出品,當中大部分並非出產眼鏡的專業品牌。相反,優質的專業眼鏡品牌出品卻很難在市面上找到,實在可以用「古怪」來形容當時眼鏡市場的生態環境。

香港寸金呎土,要開舖殊不簡單。成立之初,Visual Culture只能在冷門的地點經營:在樓上單位,用上喜愛的裝修,播放自己喜愛的音樂`理念,銷售最傳統手工藝眼鏡品牌。店舖有以白色磚牆,其意念來自熱愛的英國樂隊Pink Floyd的一張專輯「迷牆」(The Wall),並張本來梅花間竹白磚排列改成整齊排列,寓意堅定的方向清晰已不再迷惘。

希望引入更多專業眼鏡品牌的出品,讓大家多一些選擇,改變眼鏡市場由時裝品牌主導的現象,打造成真正Typical眼鏡專門店,並沒有太多商業上的計算。但是,這種風格反而給外界常報導為「atypical optical select shop」。


堅持理念
Visual Culture2011年銅鑼灣開設旗艦店(第四分店),本地市場已漸漸接受這類所謂「非典型」眼鏡店,我們有了新的發展,靈機一觸,決定將店舖裝潢主題定為「Stone」。靈感來自中國古典哲學家老子,他用物質轉變來比喻事情的狀況,認為美玉雖然潤澤珍貴,但未經雕琢時的狀態卻只是粗糙的石頭。「石頭」可比喻為未經發現的美玉,質樸無華,但配以心思和時間,必定耀眼觸目。Visual CultureStone」的設計概念由此而生,當然,一直沿用的白磚牆同樣會出現在參與設計的每間店舖內。
 本地的眼鏡潮流文化有很大轉變, 顧客也對眼鏡有更深的認知,以往可能着重鏡架要有高級品牌的商標,但現在會更懂得從多角度分辨眼鏡的優劣,同時在款式的搭配上也有更豐富的知識。在不斷堅持下,Visual Culture現時售賣的眼鏡當中,超過90%的單品都是專業眼鏡品牌的出品。



眼鏡文化交流

Visual Culture並不滿足於純粹銷售眼鏡,更熱衷於眼鏡文化和其他單位交流,並會於店內舉行期間限定和其他單位合作展覽。其中一次是與日本專門售賣古董眼鏡的單位Solakzade 合作,彼此早已相識多時,Visual Culture覺得其收藏品十分吸引及富有觀賞價值,跟 Visual Culture的眼鏡一樣富有歷史文化色彩。這個Trunk Show去年底於 Visual Culture 旗艦店內舉辦,反應非常理想,聚集了一群眼鏡知識水平很高的人甚至本地的眼鏡收藏家,作了一次非常好的交流。除了作為零售商,Visual Culture亦希望肩負推廣眼鏡文化的責任。

Visual Culture


Introduction

When we talk about wine, the French definitely gives an impression that they know well in tasting, judging and appreciation of it. As for expertise in coffee, the same feeling is given by the Italian. This is because wine and coffee has been integrated well as part of the daily life of the French and the Italian, through long years of precipitating culture and historic charm.

Interesting fact: Hong Kong ranks top amongst the world for having highest proportion of the population in wearing glasses. A pair of glasses is in fact a necessity of many people’s daily life. However, when we talk about glasses, no correlation comes to our mind between Hong Kong people and the culture of Optical Glasses, like wine with the French, nor coffee with the Italians. Certainly experience level of Hong Kong people in wearing glasses are not less than any other countries.

The mission, why Visual Culture was founded, is in hope to gather, cultivate, and share with Hong Kong people about the Culture of Visual eyewear through our expert knowledge and platform of global eyewear culture. This mission of Visual Culture remains firmly committed to the business philosophy.


Typical is seen as Atypical
From the early 1990s to the 2008s, high-end glasses were produced in the retail market based on fashion instead of professional based.


In contrast, high-quality and professional eyewear were difficult to be found in the market, we can even use the word "weird" to describe the ecological states of the eyewear market at that period of time.

It is never easy to open a store in Hong Kong, where is known as a prime real estate across the world.

In the beginning, Visual Culture can only be operated in an upstairs unit located in a popular region. With their favorite interior design, playing their favorite music, Visual Culture perseveres with their concept, selling brands with traditional handicraft eyewear.

Once you step in Visual Culture, the white brick wall can immediately catch your eyes, the idea of this came from a beloved British brand: Pink Floyd’s album “The Wall”. The original alternately pattern was rearranged into a neat structure now, implied the meaning of clear mindset with concrete direction.

Visual Culture wants to provide consumers more choices by introducing more professional eyewear brands to the population. We hope to deviate the existing eyewear market from fashion brand dominated into a simply TYPICAL eyewear concept store. However, their style and notion usually be reported as ‘‘ATYPICAL optical select shop’’.

To insist on idealism
In 2011, Visual Culture opened their flagship store in Causeway Bay, which is their fourth branch in Hong Kong. The local market finally has come to accept their concept of ‘‘ATYPICAL optical shop’’. With their new evolution, “Stone” is chosen to be the interior design theme of this flagship store. This idea was inspired by the Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu, who described a situation by applying the conception of substances alteration. He believed that although jade is a precious treasure, it is solely a rough stone before carved.

“Stone”, metaphor of an undiscovered starkness jade, however with time and effort, its dazzle will then be revealed. And certainly, the white brick wall is kept in this “stone” design based flagship store.


Eyewear trend and culture have a significant change nowadays; consumers might focus more on frames with high-end trademarks in the past; but now, they have a deeper understanding of eyewear, know how to distinguish the pros and cons of frames from different perspective, also have a better knowledge in matching style. To insist on idealism, over 90% of eyewear could be found in Visual Culture are traditional brands.

2012年7月18日星期三

Solakzade grand opening party




十分之高興今天能參與Solakzade Grand Opening party, 今次被要請感覺十分榮幸, 亦十分開心我的好朋友 Tatsuya 能為理想,在東京南青山表參道開設Flagship shop,這晚上已很多很多日本Vintage eyewear愛好者參與,以後來日本又多一個好地方了.