Matthias Balduwein Creates High Flying Designs for Bajazzo (From Vision Magazine May ‘09)
By Paddy Kamen
What a challenge it is to design something new in eyewear! With such a small ‘canvas’ and so many technical necessities, it takes a true innovator to come up with something new and distinctive. Matthias Balduwein has met this challenge in spades, and now the work of this German designer is available in Canada.
Balduwein is first and foremost a technical innovator. His first love was aircraft and even as a child he was passionate about constructing remote-controlled model airplanes. As he matured, his garage became his workshop where he could be found constructing actual airplanes from kits. His first was modeled on hang glider designs and enabled users to start from a flat plain rather than a hill. It had a 28 HP motor and a maximum speed of 80 km/hour. Over time, he chose other materials — from cloth to aluminum sheeting to carbon fiber. He flies regularly with his wife Ursula, who enjoys undertaking the navigating duties.
Drawn to the profession of opticianry by his interest in technology and precision mechanics, Balduwein opened an optical store in Zuelpich, near Cologne, and grew it into a successful business, before selling it in 1996 and heading into frame design, a calling which gives him the creative scope and technological challenges he craves. Bajazzo (pronounced Ba-Ya-Zo), was formed with the objective of creating frames that are absolutely unique. As Bajazzo’s designer and CEO, Balduwein achieved remarkable success with his designs in a fairly short period. Today, over 3,000 German opticians, or 30 percent of all optical stores, sell Bajazzo frames. Double digit growth figures are routine for the company. From Balduwein’s first collection of 10 styles, there are now 65, for men and women.
The Avantec collection was introduced to Canada by Rodenstock in October 2008. This series is produced with a precision laser technique innovated by Balduwein in conjunction with the Fraunhofer Institute in Munich and the University of Aachen, two leaders in laser technology. The highly filigreed eyewear owes its innovative design to the electronics sector. Balduwein tested many different materials for the collection before settling on surgical stainless steel, which resists oxidation, is skin friendly and resistant to perspiration. Above all, the flexibility of the material stands out and is an essential element in the overall design because the eyewear design doesn’t allow for a spring hinge. Surface treatment possibilities are extensive with stainless steel, another advantage leading to superior colouring of the frames.
The Avantec series is a bestseller for Bajazzo. But never one to rest on his laurels, Balduwein is now experimenting with carbon fiber, yet another material from the field of aviation. The possibility of a sandwich application, combining carbon and aluminum is in development. This is a highly technical venture, and Bajazzo-watchers are eagerly looking forward to seeing what Balduwein comes up with.
Bajazzo collections are made entirely in Germany, in the city of Pforzheim, near Stuttgart, an area traditionally known for fine eyewear manufacture.
It is a strong drive to be the best in the business that motivates Balduwein to get up every day to test new materials and design, and develop new frames. A long-time friend, Ortwin Crummenerl describes Balduwein as a restless man with a strong feeling for design. “It appears that he never stops working. I was shocked when I called him on Boxing Day and he told me he had been working steadily for the past few days!”
Crummenerl has been instrumental in convincing Balduwein to market Bajazzo collections beyond Germany. “I’ve pushed him a bit and acted as a consultant to help him expand. We now have the eyewear in Canada and the United States through Rodenstock, and are also selling into Asia, South-East Asia, Holland, Switzerland and France. Soon we will be in the Middle East.”
A retired executive from Rodenstock, Crummenerl has been to Canada many times, most recently as a tourist to British Columbia. He is happy to have brokered the deal that sees Rodenstock bringing Bajazzo frames to this country.
Bjorn Ramsvick, managing director for Rodenstock Canada is also excited about the partnership. “We’re delighted with the Avantec collection and look forward to the evolution of design and manufacturing methods as Matthias Balduwein continues to perform his magic. The Canadian and European markets have always been closely connected. We find that models made for Europe have always done well here.”
Magic indeed. It will be fascinating to see what Matthias Balduwein comes up with next!
