Soya, founder Matteo Pontello interview, february 2026

Stories

Soya

Matteo Pontello

Words Alessandra Albarello

04/02/2026

The founder of the brand explains how architecture, sculpture, art and sacred geometry shape his creativity, and why the triangle has become such a defining symbol

Where does the name Soya come from, and what lies behind that triangle?
Soya stems from the fusion of two essential sounds, So and ya: a duality that expresses structure and intuition, form and breath. It works almost as a mantra, reflecting the brand’s Zen-inflected aesthetic. The triangle is an ancient figure found across sacred geometry, and within Soya it becomes the emblem of a creative process: the passage from the invisible realm of ideas to the visible world of objects.

What do you mean by ‘Vertical Connection’?
‘Vertical Connection’ is our guiding philosophy: the upward link to the invisible world from which intuition and form originate. The triangle in the Soya logo acts as an antenna, capturing these signals and translating them into essential objects.

After several experiences in the industry, you launched your own line in 2015. What prompted that decision?
For years I designed for major eyewear players and iconic fashion houses. It taught me everything: industrial discipline, international aesthetic codes, material logic, proportions, production, the language of luxury, and the responsibility of creating for a global audience. yet I was still interpreting other people’s visions, and eventually that no longer felt enough. Soya was born from the desire to create a form that was mine, unfiltered, un-mediated, and not meant for someone else but original. around 2015, after years of technical refinement, something inside me began pushing for space. It was an internal click: “I know how to do it all. Now I want to do it my way.” I had seen enough to understand what I no longer wished to pursue, and enough to sense the direction I needed to follow.

So, there was an urgency to express something that had never found a voice?
There was a profound urgency: to communicate a part of myself that had never truly had the room to emerge. It wasn’t merely about designing eyewear, but about giving shape to an aesthetic and a philosophy that didn’t fit within the codes of the brands I worked for. I wanted to express the invisible side of design – intuition, balance, silence, geometry – and to do so without compromise. I also felt the need to bring beauty into the world. A pure, essential form of beauty, not decorative but directional. I believe that when beauty is genuine it can become a quiet threshold leading to higher, more sacred dimensions, where form meets meaning.

Which intuitions and inspirations give rise to your creative energy?
My creative energy springs from the meeting point of architecture, sculpture, art and sacred geometry – disciplines that speak a universal language of proportion, rhythm, balance, light and void. Every building, sculpture or artwork suggests an invisible principle: how matter can be shaped by perception, how silence and space can become protagonists, how form can uplift the observer. Inspiration never arrives all at once; it is gathered slowly, manifested through quiet intuitions that I then translate into lines, volumes and details. So, when I design a Soya frame, I bring this energy with me: the pursuit of equilibrium between function and symbol, between essentiality and sacredness, between what is seen and what is sensed.

How are these elements translated into the new collection?
The new collection is rooted in the same philosophy that defines the brand: geometry, balance, and harmony between the visible and the invisible. The triangle is both symbolic and functional, a leitmotif guiding proportions, shaping visual dynamics and giving each model its identity. In this collection, we explored new design elements: the use of titanium – light yet resilient – and metal hinge blocks embedded in acetate, transforming them into visual rather than merely functional details. Every choice aims to harmonize form, material and purpose, creating eyewear that becomes both a wearable sculpture and a tool of perception. The goal was to turn my inner research into tangible shapes – still minimalist, yet enriched with details that reveal the poetry of sacred geometry.

Who is your target audience, and how do you make your voice heard in such a crowded market?
Soya appeals to those who seek authenticity, balance and quality. Individuals who refuse the already-seen, who value eyewear as an experience rather than a simple accessory. Those who wear Soya look for clean lines, harmonious proportions and an object shaped by intention and essential beauty. We are heard because we do not compete with the crowd; we offer a distinct language. Our approach is quiet yet consistent: every detail tells a story, every aesthetic decision carries function and symbolism, and every pair of glasses becomes a small bridge between intuition and matter. We don’t simply sell a product – we offer an experience, an idea, a vertical connection.

Originally published in Eyebook 36

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