Giuseppe Toffoli

Eyewear maker

©Giovanni Sinico

©Giuseppe Toffoli

An eye for detail

Giuseppe was inspired by his parents and grandparents
He’s creating new eco-friendly materials
He was born in Cadore in Italy, the world's capital for eyewear

Giuseppe Toffoli has had a peculiar professional journey. He graduated in Orthoptics before doing a master’s degree in Vision Sciences. Throughout university, he worked as a family optician and was lucky enough to learn a lot from his parents and his grandfather. The current work of creating bespoke eyewear stems from his personal predisposition for manual skills and a passion for handcrafted artistic objects. What he does today is the result of many years of work. As time went by, he realised that the evolution of the market and the eyewear industry was causing the artisan optician to disappear in favour of the optician-retailer, so he decided to take up what his grandparents did: making eyeglasses by hand.

Interview

©Giovanni Sinico

©Giovanni Sinico

When did you open your shop?: In 2005. Soon after my second son was born, I opened my first workshop. I have always worked in the field of optometry. Initially I was attracted by contact lenses, which I designed and custom-made, then I became fascinated by eyewear.
How do you create your frames?: My designs are a mix of tradition and technology. I need over 30 measurements of the face in order to create the perfect pair of glasses. The frame is made according to the inspiration of the individual customer, so every pair of glasses is unique.
What material do you use?: I love the fusion of materials to create new and unique colours, the combination of natural materials with precious ones (for instance horn and gold). My job is to find the best combination for each individual customer. I usually work with water buffalo horns, cellulose acetate, wood, gold, silver and recycled plastic.
Is it important for you to respect the environment?: Absolutely. We devote a lot of time to creating sustainable and recycled materials. Plastic bottle caps can become your new made-to-measure glasses. You can come to me with 100 bottle caps and I would make your bespoke glasses out of them, just the way you want them.

Giuseppe Toffoli is a master artisan: he began his career in 1992 and he started teaching in 2002