It was one of the very first materials ever used for eyewear and, since then, it has never ceased to feature in the most exclusive and niche collections. Today, as in the past, making a pair of horn glasses requires artisanal savoir-faire, involving a ritual of ancient, skilled gestures combined with more modern techniques. It is precisely through the various meticulous stages of manual craftsmanship that the uniqueness of each piece is revealed, along with the deep, living soul of a sustainable material that is unafraid to stand up to contemporary design. Beauty thus takes shape through an unmistakable warm, natural touch, different veins and colours, and imperfections that become perfection, transforming a simple accessory into a precious symbol of one’s personality.

The search for authenticity also makes horn increasingly relevant today, and it is no coincidence that Ushak, a brand that makes horn eyewear by revisiting models from the past, exhibited at the “Salone dell’Alto Artigianato Italiano”, recently held in Venice and dedicated to high-end craftsmanship. These include the glasses worn by the Doge or by Goldoni, popular in the eighteenth century, with round rims and wide temples ending in the carved coat of arms of Alvise IV Mocenigo, Doge of Venice. Behind this project is architect Andrea Pacciani, owner of Ushak in Parma, an atelier offering clothing, accessories and furnishing objects born from the idea of recovering and reinterpreting the craftsmanship and styles of other eras.

The Hoffmann Natural Eyewear x Thierry Lasry collection (opening image), on the other hand, stems from the meeting of two excellences in the eyewear industry. The German company’s exceptionally high-level know-how in making horn eyewear, combined with the creative vision of one of the most iconic French brands, has given rise to decidedly modern and sophisticated optical and sun models, such as Virtually, with its rectangular shape and matte titanium temples. Thierry Lasry states that “Horn eyewear is one of the most iconic objects in the history of optics: a precious, enduring piece that transcends time like a true work of art”.