DESIGN /

the only option

FUNCTIONALIST APPROACH TO DESIGN /

                We want to make better eyewear. Not by adding features that are simply aesthetically pleasing or photograph well but rather looking into ways to improve the lifespan of frames and the way frames fit. We are guided by German industrial designer Dieter Rams’ 10 Principles of Good Design, a straightforward and timeless overview of what defines good design. The more complex a system, the less it can resist tensions. Parts break and the fit has to be adjusted regularly, leading to inconveniences for the wearer and the optician. Inspired by TRIZ, a problem-solving technique developed by a Russian engineer in the 1980s, we observe that the natural evolution of a system is to go from mechanical to magnetic. Just look at train transportation systems, it started out with wheels and the fastest trains today run on a frictionless magnetic levitation technology. We know that the hinge is the part of the frame that is most vulnerable to breakage. So, to make better frames, we spent two years developing snap-on magnetic connectors comprising one single element – magnets to replace the hinge. Without screws or mechanical parts, there are less chances of wear and tear or breakage and this helps to extend the lifespan of your eyewear.

Less and better. Thanks to our innovative snap-on magnetic connectors, where other frames break, the temples of BAARS eyewear simply detach. Detachable temples also give the wearer the option to interchange temples. A design thinking approach is important to us. We take a deep interest in understanding the people for whom we are designing the eyewear so that we develop empathy with our clients. Design thinking helps us to better question the problem, the assumptions and the implications. Our focus on function also means BAARS is driven by the object’s purpose rather than by trends. Our touch is discreet. Innovation the BAARS way extends to the way we pay attention to the shape and material of the frame as well as how it fits on the wearer’s face.

BEHIND EACH FRAME /

                We have a close relationship with our partners and respect for the environment at every stage, from conception to execution. BAARS eyewear are crafted and assembled by Lucal in Oyonnax in the Jura Mountains, the centre of France’s eyewear industry. Lucal counts in its team Christian Girard and David Rondelet, both of whom were awarded Un des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (One of the Best Craftsmen of France) title in 2011. Lucal ex-CEO Jean-Pierre Calamand himself was awarded the title in 1979. We use acetate from Mazzucchelli, the world’s leading producer of premium cellulose acetate to make our frames. Cellulose acetate is a renewable, non-petroleum material made from cotton linters or wood pulp. BAARS sunglass lenses are produced by Dalloz Creations in Saint-Claude in the Jura Mountains. CR9(TM) lenses have category 3 tint and also come with scratch-resistant, anti-reflective and anti-dust coatings. The patented snap-on magnetic connectors are made exclusively for BAARS using neodymium magnets, the strongest type of commercially-available permanent magnet, from US maker Quadrant. The BAARS frame comes with a Made In France label

/