Point of View: Geometric Collection Diamond Shades by 13&9

Casey Stengel said, “Finding good players is easy. Getting them to play as a team is another story.” He may have been talking about baseball, but the too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen syndrome exists in any field. At 13&9 Design, however, the more cooks the better. Styling themselves an “interdisciplinary design collective,” in 2013 INNOCAD founder Martin Lesjak and product/fashion designer Anastasia Su partnered up and started 13&9. Teaming up with eyewear designer Martin Lasnik, 13&9’s eye-catching The Geometric Collection Diamond Shades are the result of an architect, a designer, and an optician-turned-designer’s collective visions.

This multi-faceted creative team chose the multi-faceted structure of a cut diamond as inspiration for the collection. Boasting sharp angles and severe lines in styles for both men and women, the Diamond Shades were designed to absolute geometric precision with help from CAD programs. This produced bold, dramatic shapes creating “highly female as well as strictly masculine pieces beyond the mainstream,” says 13&9.

This attention to structure and shape is a quintessential aspect of 13&9’s designs. “Exacting aesthetic standards” are part of the collective’s “soul” according to CEOs Martin Lesjak and Anastasia Su.

A product and fashion designer, in 2012 Su also completed a degree in medicine. She worked with INNOCAD on a separate project, which ultimately prompted Su and Lesjak to join forces. This unique pair—a designer with a background in medicine and a giant in architectural innovation—gives 13&9 an unparalleled perspective. Collaborating with Martin Lasnik on the Geometric Collection added yet another dimension to their creative outlook.

Lasnik, though now an eyewear designer, began his career by following in the footsteps of his father, Gerald as an optician and optometrist. His expert knowledge of the human eye is an invaluable asset to his designs today. In 2010, Gerald and Martin formed the eyewear label “seeoo.”

In the 13&9 spirit of collectivity, this team of “good players” got together and played. The Geometric Collection Diamond Shades are striking pieces, but it’s the amalgam of perspectives behind the designs that truly make the collection original.

Photography by 13&9