Yun eyewear: minimalist design of the future

Designer Jiyoon Yun’s
shop on Rosenthaler Strasse in Berlin is a feast for the eyes in two ways.
On the one hand, at Yun’s, glasses are available to fill any prescription
and desire (sunglasses, anti blue light glasses, glasses that are so nicely
minimalist that one would even wear them with perfectly fine eyes), and on
the other, there is a strange machine that reminds one a little of a tiny
factory. With this device, the store makes its own glasses, within a
maximum of 20 minutes. FashionUnited talked to the designer about the
concept of her store, and how to bring people into offline stores in an
online era.

Please explain the USP of your eyewear brand Yun.

You get prescription glasses in 20 minutes! That’s our unique selling
point, a service you will not get in any other store. We have integrated
our system from ordering to production into the store, so that all steps
are done very quickly and automatically with the help of our self-developed
automated system. In addition, we have our own agile inventory management,
so we are prepared for customers with any kind of prescription.

How exactly does this automated process work?

When you order your glasses, your general information and prescription
data is immediately transmitted to the machine. Since our system has
already stored our frame and lens data, it begins to cut your glasses
according to the frame shape and your personal data stored in our system
once the machine has understood the job – this only takes about two to four
minutes. When the glasses are done, the rest of the work is done by our
staff: adjusting and fitting the frame. So we let technology do our job
very efficiently and use the free time to provide a better personalised
service.

Yun is a cross-generational project between you and your father. What
does he know that you don’t and vice versa?

My father CJ Yun was a brilliant technician before starting out in the
eyewear industry. After a few years as a technician, he started working as
a frame designer and manufacturer, and from 2000, he started lens making.
He’s basically a veteran in everything. On the other hand, I studied
fashion retail, design and business at one of Seoul’s prestigious
universities and started my career in fashion as a fashion designer. So I
learned how to react flexibly to trends, as well as much about branding and
fashion management. He usually takes over the responsibility for the system
and operations and I am more responsible for branding, design, production
and marketing. Yun is a true collaboration between technology and
creativity, old and new, speed and slowness.

Why did you decide to offer the 20 minute service in such a futuristic
fashion?

This state-of-the-art technology is one of our key success factors.
Nowadays, the shopping experience is becoming increasingly important for
retailers and we wanted to visually present our cool concept and let people
participate in our service by offering a totally new and different
experience.

How important is the customer experience today?

That’s a hot topic for all retailers, I think. Customers are getting
used to buying on the internet, and many online businesses are already
providing them with a great customer experience in cyberspace. People do
not find it necessary to go to an offline store if it does not add value to
them. That is why many brands, including luxury brands, are reducing the
number of their brick and mortar stores.

For you, what defines Korean design?

Korean minimalism emerged from the void. Our ancestors taught us that
the void means infinite possibilities, potential and imagination. Korean
minimalism is a bit different from the one in the West, which means
simplification and less materialism. We have been taught that being empty
means keeping your balance – not too much, not too little – it’s more about
training oneself to avoid being biased in one aspect. This whole
philosophical lesson not only influences our brand image but also the whole
concept behind our company. The balance between old and new, between
generations, technology and creativity, speed and slowness.

What is Yun’s philosophy?

We believe that the glasses in people’s everyday life should always be
with them. Back to the basics and the deeper meaning of existence. That’s
why all our designs are not over the top; they are timeless and classic, so
you can wear them for a long time.

For the current collaboration, why did you decide on Hien Le as
partner?

It was destiny. We have a lot in common in regards to the brand image,
very minimalistic with an Asian aesthetic that is hard to find in Europe.
Yun is primarily an eyewear brand, but I wanted to build Yun as a lifestyle
brand to allow for a broader perspective, not just glasses. Of course, I
love his design and style, but when it comes to this collaboration, there
was another reason why I decided to work with Hien Le: his way of thinking.
I admire him because he respects diversity and his thinking is translated
into his campaign. Working with him was a lot of fun but he also made me
think about myself. For example, when I got an email from him saying
“Please consider the environment before printing this email!” Yun wants to
be the right brand, make the right statement and think about our
environment, people and the world and that’s why I selected him.

Are you planning more collaborations? If yes, with whom?

Yes, definitely. We are open to any kind of cooperation with different
creative people from different fields. Everyone has different talents and
when two different talents meet, I know that a great synergy can arise,
like with my father and me. The cooperation with Hien Le is also a good
example. There are some interesting collaborations that we have planned.

In December, we are planning to collaborate with Maria, chief bartender
of Green Door. She will create a Yun cocktail and we will present this
drink in our store (or online first). We are also in contact with a Korean
artist who is currently in Berlin and plans to open his exhibition in our
store. In addition, we are always on the lookout for brands and designers
who can participate in product development.

This article was originally published on FashionUnited DE.
Translated by Simone Preuss.

Fotos: Yun Berlin