ABOUT MYKITA

MYKITA is a young Berlin-based design team catering to the global demand for stylish, top-quality eyeglasses. The creative core comprises Philipp Haffmans and Harald Gottschling, two of the eyewear world’s most innovative designers. In their capacity as co-founders and creators of a well-known German eyewear brand, the duo demonstrated their extraordinary innovatory skills and a precious knack for sophisticated and sensitive styling. Also involved in the global emergence of the hip designer eyewear brand were Daniel Haffmans and Moritz Krueger, whose imaginative branding and distribution strategy ensured a successful basis for marketing the product range.

The four creative minds joined forces in 2004 to create MYKITA. The first fruits of their new venture, the *Collection No.1*, a collection of corrective spectacles has been on sale since October 2004. In October 2006 MYKITA introduced the *Collection No.2*, a luxurious eyewear collection made of the voluminous material acetate.

Since 2004 MYKITA has become an internationally operating company. MYKITA has retailers in about 20 countries, mostly opticians specialized in luxury- and design- eyewear, but also department stores like Barneys New York. MYKITA employs about 40 people in its Head Office in Berlin.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

The unique form vocabulary of Philipp Haffmans and Harald Gottschling has made the designer duo a top name in the luxury eyewear world. Haffmans’ trademark style draws heavily on natural sources of inspiration. Gottschling takes his contouring cues from the latest developments in industrial design. His fascination for technical mechanics and the aerodynamic design of aircrafts and cars are the major inspiration for his creative work.

A peculiar feature in the design approach of Harald Gottschling and Philipp Haffmans is to search for elegance and beauty within technical solutions.

Both designers boast exceptional technical expertise fuelled by a visionary approach. Their vast experience in the world of design allows them to bring new concepts and designs to MYKITA and lays the groundwork for MYKITA’s worldwide success in the luxury eyewear market.

THE PRODUCT

*Collection No.1*

These glasses are made with best-quality stainless steel, just 0.5 mm thick, ensuring an ultra-light feel. The actual production of MYKITA eyewear sees every part of the frame cut out of sheet metal and folded into a lightweight but full-bodied format. Linking these is a remarkably elegant and intelligent screw-less hinge design that ensures total flexibility and allows complete adaptability to any feature, the adjustment of the inclination to perfectly custom fit the frames to the wearers’ facial proportions. This technical solution is also characterised by its aesthetic clarity and visibility, becoming a recognizable trademark for MYKITA.

To apply most of the colours featured in the collection, MYKITA chose a PVDfinish – a state-of-the-art vacuum-heat coating technique that guarantees a non-oxidizing and highly wear-resistant surface. The prescription frames of the *Collection No.1* are available in a choice of seven colours, the sunglasses in five colours. Each frame is handmade in the MYKITA workshop in Berlin.

*Collection No.2*

For quite some time, MYKITA´s designers Philipp Haffmans and Harald Gottschling have planned to make a collection made of voluminous material. To realise this project, they chose acetate. Basically composed of cotton, wood, acetate and pigments, it is a natural material that has a long tradition in the eyewear industry. After 10 years of experience with sheet-metal concepts, that only allow the creation of voluminous forms to a certain degree, MYKITA`s acetate project opens a new horizon for the designers: Working 3 dimensionally, like a sculptor.

It has been very clear to Philipp Haffmans and Harald Gottschling that they ultimately follow their design and construction principals. In various aspects, the *Collection No.2* is related to their initial concept. It features a „snap-hinge“, made of 0.8 mm flat sheet metal that relates to the construction principals applied in the first collection. In various aspects the concept is remarkably innovative. A major point is the use of the photomechanical etching-technology. The connection point between the hinge and the acetate frame, has been a challenge for the designers. Regarding classic hinge solutions on acetate frames, they never liked the fact, that as soon as the temples are folded in, a large gap between temple and front opens up. The *Collection No.2* offers an answer to this aesthetic problem.

The 6 prescription styles and 6 sunglasses are available in a choice of single opaque colours, no laminations. The colours are: black, brown, warm grey, cool grey, dark blue, olive, bordeaux, red, white.

Both collections feature a high standard of workmanship. They feature sophisticated design and a cutting-edge technical concept.

PROFILES

HARALD GOTTSCHLING – Design

Harald Gottschling was born in 1968 in Oldenburg, Germany. From 1986 he was trained as a mechanist in the metalworking industry. In 1989 Harald went back to college to obtain a degree in Design and moved to Berlin in 1992 to study Industrial Design at the University of Fine Arts (UDK). In 1997 Harald obtained his masters in Industrial Design. Whilst taking part in a design contest at the University Harald became interested in eyewear design.

Together with his fellow student Philipp Haffmans he developed a novel concept for an eyeglass hinge and subsequently founded ic!berlin with Philipp Haffmans and other associates in 1996. The extraordinary concept of the collection, which was presented for the first time in 1997, revolutionised the eyewear market. In 2003 he left ic!berlin. Together with Philipp Haffmans,Daniel Haffmans and Moritz Krüger he founded MYKITA in 2004.

Harald has a passion for aeroplanes and cars designed in the 1960’s.

PHILIPP HAFFMANS - Design

Philipp Haffmans was born in 1968 in Bonn, Germany. In his childhood he spent 3 years in Burkina Faso, West Africa. In 1990 he moved to Munich for an internship at the German Museum (Deutsches Museum) and began to study Industrial Design at the University of Fine Arts (UDK) in Berlin in 1992. While at University he went to Bilbao, Spain for one year and studied at the local Faculty of fine arts (UPV/EHU). In 2002 Philipp obtained his masters in Industrial Design.

In 1994 he came across the subject of eyewear design for the first time while taking part in a design competition. Together with his fellow student Harald Gottschling he developed a spring-hinge concept for optical frames and sunglasses. To introduce their new product to the market they founded ic!berlin in 1996. The design and concept of the initial collection, presented for the first time to an international audience in 1997, caused a sensation in the international eyewear market.

In 2003 he left ic!berlin and subsequently founded MYKITA in 2004, together with Harald Gottschling, his brother Daniel Haffmans and Moritz Krueger.

Philipp has the dream that one day he will travel around the world in a hydroplane. Until then he spends his spare time travelling, collecting old racing bikes and driving fancy sport cars.

DANIEL HAFFMANS - Manager

Born in Achern, Germany in 1971. He spent a period of his early childhood in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Following the completion of his A-Levels and Civil Service he began in 1991 his Masters in Architecture at the Technical University of Berlin (TU). From 1994 until 1995 he took up a scholarship at the Politecnico in Milan and completed his studies by obtaining his Masters in the year 2000.

On his return from Italy, Daniel, together with two fellow students, set up a multimedia agency called PANIMAGE, which is later renamed unit-berlin. The aim of unit-berlin was to develop integrated concepts for companies and then to implement them into a wide spectrum of media uses. Whilst working with unit-berlin he developed the whole corporate identity and communication strategy for ic! berlin and was also significantly involved with the implementation of these strategies. In January 2003 Daniel left unit-berlin to become a full-time member of staff, with his main client, ic! berlin. In August of the same year, he left ic! berlin and then in 2004 founded MYKITA, together with Harald Gottschling, his brother Phillip Haffmans and Moritz Krueger, where he acts as co-managing director.

Daniel is passionate about anything technical and is always up to date with the latest gadgets.

MORITZ KRUEGER - Manager

Born in Oldenburg, Germany in 1979. After finishing his Civil Service in the Berlin Zoologischer Garten shelter for homeless people Moritz began his studies in Media- and Political Science at the University of Potsdam. While studying he began to work for the eyewear company ic! berlin in July 2001. Starting as a student apprentice he then took up a new role as sales coordinator in October 2001, due to his convincing work ethic and personality.He then ended his studies to pursue a fulltime career and to concentrate on his work with ic! berlin. As well as his sales work he became involved with public relations work and was also responsible for the marketing of the company. In January 2003 he took over the role of sales manager. With his vision and his ability to assert himself he paved the way for ic! berlin to make their first steps into the world of fashion. Under his direction the company opened over twenty very important fashion accounts worldwide.

End of 2003 he left ic! berlin and in 2004 formed MYKITA together with Harald Gottschling, Phillip and Daniel Haffmans, where he acts as co-managing director.

Moritz’s dream is to one day own a football club.

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