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/ DENA - Sun frame in biobased material from castor seeds. Temples are recycled metal /

/ COVE - Made from ocean based plastic /

“ I want to add value to this world, and it is important for

me to create superior products for a good company

that is helping to do just that. “

/ MARIE - Recycled metal frame with a biobased magnetic clip-on /
Creative Director of their Shanghai design that inspires me,” she says. team how important design is for
studio, where she worked on a wide “Sustainable thinking puts higher the company. Many still have the
range of products for two years pressure on designers. A sustain- perception that design is subjective
before returning to Stockholm. “I able product must stand out in and a matter of taste, while in fact,
missed the beauty of nature in Swe- a crowded marketplace in or- it is quite objective. The awards give
den,” she allows. der to become the first choice some proof to that.”
Her long-time Dutch boyfriend, for consumers. I love bringing As might be expected, creativity
Maarten, also a designer, found the innovation and new functions is not restricted to work for Marina PORTRAIT OF A DESIGNER
advertisement that landed her a to even a well-established and Lothigius. She and Maarten have
job with MODO Eyewear, parent straight-forward product like been busy this past year, even
company to the Eco® brand. “I rather eyewear. For me, the focus is about though the pandemic has put a
stumbled into eyewear design and it adding value through extra features pause on their love of travel. “We
turned out to be a very good move.” like my original clip-on designs for have completed several renovations
our biobased and recycled frames.
Eco is a brand with an ambitious While magnetic clip-ons existed and building projects,” she says.
mandate: sustainable, fashionable before, we were able to execute them “Many buckets of paint improved
eyewear and environmental healing. on metal frames with an entirely new my dad’s house and our summer
To this end, they craft their frames technique.” house in the forest. We even built
from 95 per cent recycled metal, a sauna log house from scratch last
bio-based castor seed oil and recycled Recognition for Lothigius’ designs summer. That kind of physical work
ocean plastics. They work with the has been abundant, both for her with a paintbrush or saw gives such a
organization Trees for the Future, Eco work and from previous constructive, tangible result that for
to plant a tree for every frame non-eyewear creations. Awards me, is the best relaxation.”
purchased: over 2.4 million to include two iF Gold Awards (one for Marina Lothigius keeps the big
date. And their work with the Eco), one regular iF Award, two Red picture in mind as she builds the
environmental organization, Waste dot Awards, a China Red Star Design story of her life. “I want to add value
Free Oceans, has helped to clear Award and a German Design Award to this world, and it is important for
nearly 30 tons of ocean-based-and- (for Eco). me to create superior products for a
bound plastics, which are recycled “The awards are a good reminder good company that is helping to do
into the Eco Ocean collection of that you are doing something right,” just that.” Whether she is painting,
optical and sun frames. she says. “That encouragement sawing logs, inventing new technol-
Lothigius was just the right per- is needed on the days when I am ogies or just walking in her beloved
son to handle Eco’s high calling. struggling. They are also important forest, Lothigius is creating a positive
E
“It is the problem-solving part of because they show clients and our story that can enrich us all. Bravo!” l

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