Tue Strange talks to Eyesway

Danish Eyewear was set up in 2001 with the idea of developing new eyewear collections created by world-famous designers. The company’s eyewear lines are based on a philosophy oriented toward combining shape and functionality. As well as design and aesthetics, the aim of the eyewear is to be worn voluntarily and not just to satisfy personal egos.
We put some questions to the soul of the company, Tue Strange, who has headed it since it began.

- What was your first contact with the eyewear world? What attracted you to it?
Originally I bought my first pair of glasses when I was about 28 years old because I thought that it would help me when I was having a headache in the afternoon… I didn’t realize it could be lack of water in that time… but I got wiser. I started using glasses every day 4 years ago just around my 40th birthday. My business and family contact started ten years ago when I meet my wife. She is an optometrist and her family has been in the eyewear business for six generations, founded in 1817.
I think that the eyewear industry is very attractive for me as the product is both a fashion product and a technical product.

- What gave you the inspiration for your latest creations?
The Unity collection came to life when I was reading an article about being involved in something that helps the world to survive, not only the planet but also our way of life, how we interact with one another.
The Cph-Stage collection (Cph is the short version of Copenhagen) was an idea that came to me when I was walking downtown Copenhagen a Saturday morning when the town was full of people listening to music, being on cafes and people was watching or being watched setting up their own performance stage.

- What is your philosophy?
Create eyewear that people would like to wear and don’t create something that is only for the benefit of the ego, this is actually the easy part. It is much more difficult to create a frame that people enjoy using everyday and tell people around them how much they like to wear it.

- Let’s leave eyewear for a moment and talk about you: who is Tue Strange? Tell us something about yourself, your passions, expectations, fears ....
I’m a very passionate guy that is so fortunate to have a loving family, a supporting wife and four great kids that gives me lots of challenges, believe me, four girls in the age from 12 to 22 is a mouthful. It is great to have their love and forthcoming honesty. My great passion is of cause my eyewear company and I really appreciate great design and beauty in things and people. I will expect us to save the future of our kids… my worst fear is that we don’t… I’m a very positive person that sees opportunities instead of obstacles, We will find a solution for all over worst fears… even if people get a pill or a DNA injection in the future so they don’t need glasses… we will create a trend for them to use eyewear…

- Describe yourself in one word
Only one word, but I can multitask… one word, that’s hard… it would be two words – I CARE.
- What materials do you prefer and which ones do you think will be the most popular next season?
I really like to work with different materials as the design and comfort is the most important in my philosophy. That would be Acetate or combinations.

- Which of your creations was the most successful in 2010 till now?
I would say that it is 50/50 for the Unity and Cph-Stage it all depends of with part of the world they are sold.

-There has been a lot of talk about the global economic crisis last year. In your opinion in what way has this affected the eyewear industry?
In lots of ways: One big thing is that the industry has been very spoiled until beginning of 2008, almost everything that was brought into the retail stores was sold. But now the effect has given a back draft in a good sense; we all have to think hard when we bring something to the table, because if we don’t, we will fail in achieving our goals and getting a solid and healthy economy.

-And which has been the relation between your company and the crisis?
We took a hard hit in 2008 and 2009 it has been tough for us. So when I got the question about buying the company in the beginning of 2009 when I was the director of Danish Eyewear it took awhile for me to say yes. But I did and I haven’t regretted it for one bit. I love being the owner and creator of the company.

-What is your impression of the trend in the eyewear sector in 2010? Has there been a recovery?
The trend is still the same as in 20XX – RETRO… I actually don’t like that word for trend or fashion. I like the fact that we acknowledge that in the decades before us there has been some brilliant minds that has given us great design that we can use again and again just added a twist so that it gives the feeling of present time.

-Talk about your opinion about the exhibitions? Do you think they are still a good opportunity for the companies to show their product or to sell them?
Yes, I think that we can use the big shows, but it is too expensive now as we all get squeezed in our margins and buyers is more careful about their inventory. Long-term we all have to think totally different in how we can prevent the shows of getting closed.

- One question about Mido, the next big date for the market. Are you going to attend the fair? Why?
I really don’t know yet. I will have to see when we get closer to March, but I probably will… We will be in Munich, Düsseldorf, New York and Copenhagen and some smaller fairs in local markets, there is plenty of fairs to attend to. Milan is one of the greatest cities in the world I love to be there. See you in March…