Italiano 
The story behind Movitra is a bit like something out of a film. Two friends with completely different professional backgrounds are invited to spend a couple of days at the seaside with a friend. One morning, on the rocks, the friend drops her glasses. Of course, they fall lens side down. Just like a cracker with Nutella does – a classic.
It sounds a bit like Murphy’s law but it isn’t. The front of your glasses weighs more than the temples, so it’s quite normal if they fall lens side down. So if it’s not completely down to bad luck, surely we can do something to stop it happening?
That’s when the idea came to them and the two friends threw themselves into the project, venturing into a sector that was completely new to both of them and creating a high-end brand that is recognised and loved the world over.
It all started out as an idea
It’s a true story. And it’s told by Giuseppe Pizzuto, who founded Movitra with his friend, Filippo Pagliacci. «We presented our first collection at Mido 2016 but we had obviously been working on the concept for a while. Initially there were three of us but then it was just me and Filippo. Our first collection was tiny – just three acetate models. When we started out it really was just an idea.»
The idea was a new closing system, where the frame rotates on itself and the temples overlap on both sides of the lenses, protecting them a bit like a shell. When they are closed, they also become ultra-slim. This concept is captured in the name of the brand: «Our name is a fusion of two Latin words – “movere” (move) and “vitra” (glass) – movement of the lenses. We chose Latin because Italy and Made in Italy quality are key to our brand.»
Success didn’t come easily though. «Everyone thought we were mad because it was a completely new concept and was very complicated to produce. It was tough to get people to take us seriously, for starters, partly because neither of us came from this world. We were outsiders in the true sense of the word; Filippo came from a legal background and also had a business in the plastics sector. I used to work in communication, so the world of eyewear, and everything related to it, was completely foreign to us. We just had an idea and wanted to develop it.»
Opening scene, a beach in Liguria
«The idea came to us when we were at the seaside with Filippo’s friend. In Liguria the beaches are pebbly and umbrellas have a little kind of shelf you can put your things on. She had put her glasses on it and, as she picked up her little boy, she caught them and they fell – lens side down of course – and got scratched. So we thought: how hard would it be to come up with something simple that would protect the lenses on our glasses because this is something that happens to everyone at some point in their lives?»
«This is how we got the idea and we started developing it. We did a couple of drawings, then went to our patent experts to see if our design could be patented and how, and if there was anything similar on the market. There wasn’t, so we realised there was a niche for it.»
«We made several attempts, did lots of tests and realised we had to move the point where the frame rotates. We didn’t patent the mechanism, which works with a compression spring, a small piston and a cube. The heart of the patent lies in the concept of rotating the frame along its central axis.»
The journey from Milan to Veneto to find the right partner
All stories worth their salt have a protagonist who goes on a journey where, along the way, he acquires skills, tools and friends who help him realise his dream. This is what happened to Giuseppe and Filippo who, one fine day, packed up their drawings and ideas and decided to embark on their own journey to find someone who could help them make their eyewear. «We got in the car and headed for Veneto. We had done some 3D printing but we needed help testing the physical and technical feasibility of the mechanism.»
Their journey took them to Belluno and the eyewear district where 70% of the world’s medium to high-end eyewear is manufactured (as Piera Anna Franini writes in Forbes https://forbes.it/2022/06/20/nel-distretto-dell-occhialeria-bellunese-tra-colossi-pmi-e-centri-di-ricerca/). As expected, however, the first reaction they got was that the idea was impossible. Or, conversely, that it was so simple there were bound to be other glasses like them. A paradox that is typical of real innovation.
«Whenever we pitched our idea, the reaction would be either “No, it can’t be done” or “Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before?”. But that was precisely the point, no one had thought of it before.» Filippo and Giuseppe didn’t give up and the eyewear district lived up to its reputation. They found someone who realised the potential of their invention.
Challenging the top global manufacturers
For anyone looking for quality manufacturing, Italy has a tradition of excellence. «We produce high-end eyewear, so we’re in the same league as quality, beautifully crafted eyewear, most of which comes from Japan. Japanese manufacturing is recognised the world over as the best for eyewear. But we believe you can make products here in Italy that are just as good as the top Japanese products. This is one of our goals, alongside the mechanism and all that, we are determined to produce sensational eyewear, made from start to finish in Italy, because our eyewear really is made here, all its parts are, it’s 100% made in Italy.»
Another interesting paradox is that Italian eyewear is more popular abroad than at home. «In Italy we’re obsessed with all things foreign. Filippo says it all the time: if we were a brand from Los Angeles sold in Italy, we would have totally smashed it. Because we’re Italian, it’s precisely the opposite. But the more you expand, the more people come to appreciate your Made in Italy quality.»
Doing everything in Italy means Giuseppe and Filippo have complete control over the result: «Producing our eyewear in Japan would have other advantages because, let’s face it, there are some things that the Japanese do better, like processing and galvanising titanium. That said, though, we’d still rather forego some things to stay here.»
A technical solution becomes a brand identity
Movitra’s innovative technical solution was the starting point for Giuseppe and Filippo to develop the identity of their brand. Other important brands do it the other way round. «Lots of brands are based on some kind of cultural inspiration and the aspects and meanings that come with it make it possible for them to build a strong brand identity in no time at all. We started off with a technical idea, so it was different. We built our identity as we went along, we did a lot of soul-searching and came at it from a different angle.»
Movitra’s journey may have been long but the end result is a truly unique product. «First we had to solve a number of problems with the mechanism: however brilliant your idea is, you still have to make glasses that flatter the face and are built to last. Now we’ve got our product, our identity and our unique design.»
D.F. has had an important part to play in this journey: «Having D.F. as our partner has been key to our growth. Thanks to them, we made changes to our design, so now we make the bridge with the mechanism already built into it, and this is done directly with the mould. It’s different from how we used to do it and it gave our eyewear a very distinctive look. Also because it is a complex part whose mechanism is inside, it has its own geometries and very low tolerances. It isn’t an easy thing to do but it was an important stage in the process for us because it marked a transition from the previous product, which had an idea but not an identity, to the current product family which has both an idea and an identity, a design.»
«Having a partner like D.F. who assists you with the development of your product, especially when it is as technical as ours, is fundamental. If you haven’t got a partner, if you can’t find one or they aren’t at your level, it all takes longer and becomes more complicated. We get on really well with them because they’re the best at what they do. Because they love all the design challenges we throw at them. They love this kind of thing».
Giuseppe Pizzuto, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Movitra
