Design, sustainability, functionality, technology and marketing, these were the criteria by which twelve young labels put themselves forward for the opti BOX AWARD. The winner of the award, which was granted for the first time at midday today at this year’s opti (13 to 15 May 2022), was LEINZ Contemporary Eyewear Berlin.
“Of course I am very happy about the award and just very pleased about the recognition. I have been working on eyewear for almost 30 years and now I can incorporate all my experience into my own collection.” Beate Leinz, who has already worked for labels such as PRADA and Yohji Yamamoto, is overwhelmed when she holds the opti BOX AWARD in her hand. In the end, it was above all the design and marketing with which LEINZ Eyewear convinced the international jury. “Unexcited courage”, “Quiet extravagance” and “a coherent brand presence with a lot of personality and recognisability” were among the reasons given fort he Berlin based start-up.
“Never ordinary, that is something I promise my customers. And that is exactly true of the labels that we have come to know within the framework of the opti BOX AWARD,” added Giovanni Graffweg. The exceptional optician from Essen was there as one of the judges of the first opti BOX AWARD. “I love this label, I love the opti BOX AWARD, I love opti!” added Giulia De Martin (Behind My Glasses), Italian eyewear blogger and one of the judges of the start-up award.
The prize for winning the first opti BOX AWARD includes a credit note worth €1,000 for their opti exhibition stand hire for 2022 and 2023 as well as marketing and PR support worth a four-digit figure from partners eyebizz and Ebner Media Group. “Providing media-related support and a little assistance to a young eyewear label like LEINZ Eyewear is so much fun and enriches us all as experts in this sector,” Dr. Jürgen Bräunlein, editor-in-chief at eyebizz. opti Exhibition Director Bettina Reiter said: “Presenting the opti BOX AWARD for the first time today, to such a brilliant start-up, at this special opti 2022 – this moment will definitely go into my personal album of opti highlights.”
Overview of all nominees for the opti BOX AWARD 2022:
LEINZ Eyewear, Berlin (opti BOX 1)
Frameshaper Eyewear (opti BOX 3)
Planet Pop by p5 Consulting (opti BOX 4)
MYDOT (opti BOX 5)
MITA Sustainable Eyewear (opti BOX 6)
Proud Eyewear (opti BOX 7)
MUNIK (opti BOX 8)
O-CCX EYEWEAR (opti BOX 10)
RAYDIANT (opti BOX 11)
LEGENDS (opti BOX 12)
Reframd (opti BOX 13)
LooC (opti BOX 13 )
