Italy’s Luca Gnecchi Ruscone talks to Clodagh Norton about traditional production techniques in eyewear and the new Polverosa collection of sunglasses.
Rome-born Luca Gnecchi Ruscone founded L.G.R. Sunglasses in 2007. One of the new breed of small privately owned eyewear producers making handmade frames, L.G.R. Sunglasses has quickly become one of Italy’s most desirable accessory labels.
Explain how you came to start L.G.R. Sunglasses.
It’s an amazing story. I literally found my grandfather’s collection of 1950s frames in his former optical shop in Eritrea. In 2002, I went on a trip with my grandfather to Asmara; he was being returned some of the property he had lost when he fled during the revolution in the 70s. The frames, when we found them, were untouched. I took some of them home to show my friends and family and everyone was amazed by their quality and beauty. Gradually I looked into producing frames like this myself, and that is what we are now doing. I re-opened the old workshop in Florence where my grandfather’s original sunglasses were produced. I now also have a second workshop in Naples using the same old-fashioned methods as were typically used in the 1950s in Italy.
How have you managed to produce the sunglasses using traditional methods?
The frames are made in the old family owned laboratory in Florence using original 1930s machines, all of which are operated manually. We have made a few small adjustments or modifications to the production techniques to make them more reliable, but other than that everything is done in the old-fashioned way, from cutting each individual frame front in a pantograph to the filing and hand polishing.
Is it true that just one craftsman builds each model from start to finish?
Yes. We have only two artisans that take care of the whole production of L.G.R frames. We cannot make large numbers of frames so this makes each one all the more special. Both of the craftsmen who work here produced the original sunglasses that my grandfather had acquired. They have true expertise and an expert knowledge of traditional production and techniques which are close to being lost.
Can you pick out a few details on the frames that are unique because of the way in which they are produced?
We take care with all the details. The result is beautiful vintage styling, with a special finish. For example, our L.G.R. letters are engraved into the inside of the temple using the old hot stamp method….at the moment I am trying to acquire another old machine to do this and it is very difficult! This is something a bit unusual today but it creates a very personal finish. I believe in keeping the art of spectacle making alive and it is little touches like this that add to what we are doing.
What’s the difference between the cellulose acetate you use and the plastics used commonly by large companies?
Injection-moulded frames have become the norm today. This means that the hot plastic is put into a spectacle shaped mould which cools and then sets. This is a method that makes mass production possibly. At L.G.R. we use Italian-made cellulose acetate which is supplied in slabs so we basically carve what we need out of each piece using the old-fashioned pantograph which cuts just one frame front at a time.
Can you explain why you use glass lenses from the Italian lens specialist Barberini?
I wanted to reproduce the glasses as I found them in Africa, so I wanted to stick with the original as much as possible. Barberini is the world’s leader in mineral glass lenses so they are a perfect match for our hand-produced frames. The lenses are very hard-wearing, and practically indestructible.
Who is the L.G.R. customer?
My customers are fascinated by our story, the idea of a lost elegance, understatement and authenticity. We have created something that has an appeal to all ages. My cousin who is 16 loves the fashion side of the label, while my grandfather is also wearing the sunglasses at 98….he appreciates the quality and attention we have paid to the details and the high levels of craftsmanship, he sees that I have tried to return to how things used to be.
What’s new from L.G.R. this season?
A new and beautiful collection, with innovative designs and new colours. We have our special edition hunting glasses – L.G.R per La Polverosa – these are being released in a fashion collection. This is a technical design originally created for hunting but I found it was a very sexy, strong shape and so we have a new interpretation coming for Fashion Week in the spring.
We have also had great success with the L.G.R Polarized Neophan Lenses, a lens series which offers the highest level of protection available in polarized lenses today. The uniqueness of these lenses is the Neophan layer which selectively filters colour for a sharper vision with more contrast, making them ideal for sailing, flying, fishing, and hunting. These lenses offer a unique eyewear experience in terms of contrast, clarity, and protection.
