Zylo : Wooden artifacts
Γραίγος /’Grégos’/ according to the mediterranean navy tradition was the North East wind that brought the Venetians back home. A wind blowing from Greece.
“My pappou Yiannis was a fisherman for living and a true stubborn. He was known to the locals as ‘to vremeno’ meaning in Greek the wet guy. He always came back to shore with his pants wet. His fishing boat was used by 3 generations. We inherited his stubbornness and wanted his fishing boat to continue his journey through our sunglasses.
Grégos is the limited edition line we created in the memory of my Pappou Yiannis. The boat was built in 1979 in Syros island. We used the wood of this boat in the outer part of the frame trying to maintain the look and finish of the boat, the rest of the frame is made of Oak wood. We were really excited with the idea to combine the wood from the boat with a shape inspired by a Capuchin (Catholic monk), here in Ano Syros.”
The Zylo approach
Wood is the hard fibrous material that forms the main substance of a tree. This is a plain description. Reality is even bigger than just a few lines put together next to each other. “We wanted to overtake plain descriptions of books, that may distract us from that alive material. We wanted to live with the material, we wanted to hear the story from its side, by working with it.”
“We live in the center of the Aegean; we grew up near the sea, and under the sun. And that’s what we are trying to pass through our design process. From the names of the sunglasses, to their designs, the graphic creations and their photographies, we are trying to give the feeling of the place we live. Lines and forms on the frame of Zylo sunglasses that remind the waves of the sea, the boles of pine trees, the flow of the sand in the golden beaches of the Mediterranean and the essence of the cool summer night breeze.”
“Using human-centered design, we try to make our sunglasses as relaxing and distinctive as possible. With the combinations and designs we created, we want to satisfy most of the aesthetic demands of those interested. And that’s because we believe that wooden eyewear is not a luxurious item, but an artifact that comes from good technique, attention to detail, and care for the material and the final outcome. And this is something that everyone should be able to enjoy. So, our first concern is the quality of our material. We choose carefully the lumber we use and we refine it by hand.”
“We believe that wood is alive, it lives with us and changes over time. We choose not to use chemical products in the final stage of the process. As a result, we compound ourselves a salve made of white beeswax and pure olive oil. A simple, pure and natural mix that embraces the frame, keeping it merely water proof, while it emphasizes the natural colors of the wood by contrasting its grain, and creates a smooth and satin surface. This mixture is provided and accompanies every pair of glasses, so that every owner will be able to take care of them, as they take care of him / her.”
Zylo eyewear was founded by Eleni Vakondiou and Periklis Therrios.
