On Saturday 9 and 10 September at the Stazione Leopolda of Florence, there will be the 11th edition of DaTE, where avantgarde eyewear will be revealed with its most innovative features. Many of the most creative designers will present their proposals, where inspiration and experimentation unite in futuristic visions.
While waiting for DaTE, we have interviewed some of the key players.
Today we meet Lara D’Alpaos, founder of Lara D’.
What is your concept of creativity?
In my opinion, creativity is the ability to merge various factors such as intelligence with emotions, logic with sentiment, technical expertise with inventiveness... it’s the fusion of many intellectual and emotional skills with experience and technical competence. In the specific field of design, creativity means molding a unique and distinctive item without ever neglecting the more technical aspects of the product. Creativity is also fantasy, fun, and experimentation, elements that I never forego.
What vision do you want to bring to DaTE? Why have you chosen this fair again?
At DaTE, my mission is to show the public my new collections which are packed with technical and creative innovation every year. I like to maintain my own style, which makes me stand out and recognisable, yet I also do a lot of research so that I can offer new stylistic and technical solutions to my customers. This year in particular, I would like to present a new series of “brilliant” models, almost Christmas-like in their charm, and a series of models characterised by a special technology that makes them unique, with a strong stylistic identity.
DaTE is the perfect fair to present an alternative product, something which is different and outside the box in commercial terms; it is full of opportunities for someone like me who wants to stand out from the crowd, who wants to offer a design product marked by quality and craftsmanship. On a national scale, it offers the opportunity to meet many customers who care about these details, who are focused on finding an “alternative” product like mine, and obviously it’s also a useful way to maintain and improve relationships with existing customers. Furthermore, in recent years, it has shown great potential in attracting visitors from other neighbouring European countries.
How will you communicate your design strategy at DaTE?
I will present my collections with great enthusiasm and, at the same time, with extreme competence. My eyewear must inspire emotions but also guarantee quality and comfort. As I personally attend to every creative and productive step in my collections, it will be great to be able to reveal the concept behind each of them.