Far from betting on elitist pieces that only celebrities wear, FLATLIST® is willing to make eyewear something functional without leaving out the design aspect. In their creative universe (turned into a community) everyone is welcome, regardless of their origin or profession. And they know well what their project is about. “Eyewear is meant to be lost or broken because you accidentally sat on them. It's not that deep,” they reply. Now they release five new frames, which they prefer to refer to as members of their family. They are John Jovino, Slice, Gemma, Priest and Sammy's. And that's not all. They're hosting today an event in Byhaven, Pumpehuset, during the Copenhagen Fashion Week. And everyone is welcome!
“We are not big fans of only inviting industry people. We leave that to others and invite everyone to come and get #FLATLISTED at our events,” they say from FLATLIST® about the great event they are hosting today. An event that continues the initiative they started a few months ago, the FLATLIST Festival, which celebrates both fashion and music in an intimate and cozy way. Because, as we can read in the brand manifesto, “it's eyewear for everyone.” That’s why they have pursued from the beginning the search for synergy between different creative disciplines, always prioritising quality eyewear at affordable prices that underlines, whilst never overshadowing, a person's character. We talk to them to find out all their new pieces and know what to expect from the festival that takes place today in Copenhagen.
The first thing that caught my attention when I entered your website and social media was the brand's motto: “A pair of FLATLIST® is easily recognised by the sound they make when you drop them on a table.” How would you describe this sound metaphorically? What makes your eyewear different from others?
“How do you know it’s good quality eyewear without knowing it’s good quality eyewear?,” drop them on a table and you’ll hear it right away. Our frames are made of one hundred per cent handmade Italian Mazzucchelli acetate. Carl Zeiss CR-39 scratch-free lenses, providing hundred per cent UVA/UVB protection. Stainless steel, nickel-free OBE hinges w/ silicone safety screws. We care a lot for good material and top quality, whilst still being in a fair price range. Eyewear is meant to be lost or broken because you accidentally sat on them. It’s not that deep.
To understand the current moment that a brand is going through, we must go back to its origins. How and when was FLATLIST® founded?
FLATLIST® was born from the idea of making technically advanced, yet effortless quality eyewear to be worn – also when the sun doesn’t shine. Inspired by their environment and years of experience from working internationally handling major benchmark brands – eyewear included, founders, Mads Faith Hancock and Kasper Spacey of sales agency RICH & HANC, felt a desire to develop the exact eyewear that they wanted to wear, and which they realized were missing on the market: quality eyewear at affordable prices that underlines, whilst never overshadowing, a person’s character.
And what is the mission that pursues? Why did you choose to put all your attention on eyewear?
Let’s not fool ourselves here, we are making eyewear and don’t have a mission as so, other than the fact that we love seeing people wearing our frames (and having fun in them), working with the best retailers in the world while creating a community people want to be part of. Good vibes are the way to go!
Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner are some of the celebrities who have already worn your brand. What has meant that these well-known people opted for your designs?
FLATLIST® is eyewear for everyone. We always appreciate it when people support us, no matter if you are a supermodel, a student in school, an astrophysicist, a designer, a stay-at-home mom or dad etc. We care a lot about being inclusive, which is also what we like to share on our socials. We are always thrilled to see celebrities in our frames because it underlines the fact that everyone can wear them.
Now you welcome five new easily recognizable and distinct frames to the family of FLATLIST® Eyewear. Who are these new members and what are their distinctive characteristics?
We like to call our frames family members since every style is born from a moment of inspiration – ignited by a character in a film, a special corner in a special city, or an evening in good company.
There is a history behind every frame. Meet the new members: John Jovino, not to be confused with the unknown 70’s avant-garde musician from Czechoslovakia, the oldest hun shop in New York City has left the building. As much as we enjoy the idea of fewer killing machines in the violent world, you gotta respect history. John Jovino is full of respect. Be like John Jovino, be a respectful person. Slice, always sitting with undeniable precision on the bench Next Door, besides the pizzeria, Slice is staring at you as you unknowingly pass through the street. You’ll never really know what you’re looking at. Be the one looking at others around. Sammy’s, our greatest achievement was making it to the basement on Christie st. in Lower East Side before it shut its doors and Danni Luv moved uptown to the Russian Tea Room. Be like Sammy’s and Danni's. Treat each night like it was your birthday party. Priest enjoys a tax-free enterprise based out of Italy. Take the believers to the cleaners. Be your own Priest, and enjoy your blessings while they last. Gemma; you should take note of the Gemmas of this world, and always order dessert for dinner. Preferably start with a selection of pies and move on to the sorbet servings. If you can, you should. Stop by our shop sometime, and we’ll share all the good stories, haha.
And what is your most recognisable piece? Have you experienced any sales boom?
We have a core collection, which will always be available as they are our most recognizable pieces; Hanky, Le Bucheron, Tishkoff, and Bricktop. Other than that, we have also found our collaborations very popular. Last year we teamed up with Veneda Carter who designed two styles; Disco and Daze, which was a great success. We will even introduce some new colourways during CPHFW this week. Besides that, we have some very interesting things in the pipeline for 2023.
Besides having an impressive and very visual web design, your brand is characterized by exploring the intersection between music and fashion. Last year you even organized a festival in Copenhagen, didn’t you?
Yes! Last year FLATLIST® hosted/introduced FLATLIST Festival, which became an intimate one-day festival. The idea behind the festival came from the fact that we saw great potential in merging the music and fashion industry which we didn’t feel were being explored enough. FLATLIST® has great support within both industries, and we, therefore, saw ourselves being the perfect matchmaker in that regard. This resulted in a line-up packed with new talent, which we felt shared our FLATLIST® ‘vibe.’ The event took place during the Copenhagen Fashion Week at Copenhagen Distillery, where it was about celebrating both fashion and music in an intimate and cosy way, at a time when people needed it due to the pandemic.
After celebrating the first edition of this initiative during the Copenhagen Fashion Week at Copenhagen Distillery, you are now getting ready to host a new event today in Byhaven (Pumpehuset) during the great date with Danish fashion. What can you tell us about it?
Since then we’ve continued hosting events for the Copenhagen Fashion Week. We love to facilitate and gather people, and at the same time, we have a well-established community that always shows support and brings vibes. Today we’re hosting an event in Byhaven, Pumpehuset during the Copenhagen Fashion Week, where we celebrate music during fashion week. Everyone can come and explore an interesting line-up of both live performances and DJ sets all night. We are not big fans of only inviting industry people. We leave that to others and invite everyone to come and get #FLATLISTED at our events.
Last question, what can you tell us about your next projects? Have you thought about launching your own clothing line?
FLATLIST® is more than just an eyewear brand, and we always like to surprise. We will definitely continue to explore the music industry, as well as collaborate with great talents. Stay tuned!
