What are some of the earliest inspirations that you’ve derived from Italy? How did you apply them?
SEAN: Italy is a great historical country for eyewear manufacturing. Today, Italy continues to be amongst the leading manufacturers for high quality eyewear. There was and still is so much to learn in this field, ranging from artisanship, design, to technology; and how the three come together. On SUPER’s side, the majority of the components that go into creating our eyewear are entirely made in Italy. We are proud in that aspect, because it allows us to work with and pull from our country’s know-how and the resources it has to offer. This to us is our primary inspiration. Moving away from the industrial and professional aspect of life, Italy continues to offer a very high quality of life – this should not be under-estimated. All-in-all, I think there is an immediate sense of an Italian aesthetic when interacting with our product.
What is your thought process when taking inspiration from one medium in order to apply it to your own?
SEAN: Being true to who you are — it’s not easy, but we do our best: How can you not be influenced by everything that’s happening around you? How can you not be influenced by everything you see on the Internet? It’s easy to lose track, once again, the difficulty is remaining focused on your own set of core values.
Has your inspiration grown and changed as you got older?
SEAN: Inspirations definitely change, but it’s important that they share the same common values that we’ve had since day one. We often look back at what we’ve done and how we’ve done it in order to challenge ourselves when looking forward. As we grow, we change and that in itself is inevitable. But if and when you continue to explore your own personal curiosities; pursuing dreams, traveling, meeting new people, continuing to grow yourself both creatively and introspectively, then you are essentially maintaining the same sense of curiosity and energy that you had in your youth.
Tell us a bit about what “Made in Italy” means to SUPER?
DANIEL: It means many things. From bringing growth to your country’s economy, to directly helping your neighbor, to even creating new professional and growth opportunities. With our experience there are deep roots and a particular care in certain aspects, that must not be ignored. And also, above all else, the quality of life.