CHARMANT's Japanese eyewear brand Minamoto wins iF Design Award 2022
CHARMANT Group presented its new Minamoto brand for the first time at Silmo Paris in 2021. The reaction from customers and business partners was instantaneously and consistently positive, and Minamoto’s popularity exceeded everyone’s expectations. Now, this praise has been officially warranted: Minamoto has just won the prestigious iF Design Award 2022 in the category "Product".
Minamoto is more than just an eyewear collection. The entire brand concept and every single component - from the logo to the glasses to the case - tells the story of centuries-old Japanese artisanship, uniting the present and the past of Japanese eyewear tradition. Minamoto eyeglasses generate superior wearer comfort thanks to their high-quality design and material. Together with a timelessly beautiful aesthetic, Minamoto glasses provide long-lasting satisfaction for the discerning wearer.
CHARMANT’s heritage is Japanese, and still today, the company’s roots are firmly embedded in Japan. Minamoto eyeglasses are also thoroughly Japanese, unlike products that capitalise on "Japan" for marketing purposes. Nicolas Berne, Minamoto designer explains the initial design phase, “Before creating sketches, I had to go deep into our company history and philosophy to fully understand what Japanese eyewear all is about.” In light of the product’s beauty and the enthusiasm that greeted it, the team at CHARMANT decided to submit Minamoto for an iF Design Award.
Established in Germany in 1954, iF is one of the world’s most prominent design awards. The iF seal is a global symbol that signifies outstanding creativity and design excellence to consumers and the design community. An independent jury of international experts meets to determine award-winning designs based on a set of objective screening standards. Criteria such as idea, form, function, impact and differentiation are evaluated.
Competition this year was intense: almost 11,000 entries were submitted from 57 countries for an iF Award. In the first jury round, 5,426 submissions from 2,687 participants and from 49 nations were nominated for submission to the ultimate iF jury. Over three days, all finalists’ submissions were assessed, discussed and evaluated by 75 renowned international design experts.
The team at CHARMANT is thrilled with Minamoto’s win. Nicolas Berne expressed his delight, “My aim for Minamoto was to deliver the best collection possible to our customers. When I heard that we won the award, I experienced a mix of extreme joy and a true sense of pride. Getting such prestigious recognition from the design community is truly meaningful.” Hajime Hori, product developer for Minamoto added, “To work on the creation of Minamoto was a highlight, but then to win an iF Award is truly the icing on the cake. I appreciate the efforts of the entire CHARMANT team in creating this premium eyewear brand.”
https://ifdesign.com/.../project/minamoto-eyewear/350132
