Phoenix Eyewear's Mark Collman and Phil Wilson with Albert I'mStein's founder Diego Kim (centre)

Born from an affection for fun frames by the company’s chemistry-trained, Korean-born founder, Diego Kim, Albert I’mStein eyewear is now available in New Zealand.

It’s been a long journey, admitted Kim at Silmo in Paris, who worked for 12 years with Samsung Electronics, first in Korea and then in Poland, before following his passion for eyewear. The eyewear brand was launched in Poland in 2016 before gaining international attention when it appeared at the Mido and Silmo fairs in 2018, attracting opticians in Europe and larger distributors in Germany and Thailand.

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New Zealand distributor Phoenix Eyewear’s Mark Collman said his business partner Phil Wilson was first drawn to Kim’s fun, wearable designs at Mido. But it was Kim’s philosophy and attitude to life that really sealed the deal, he said. “Diego’s creativity and freedom of expression is both refreshing and invigorating. We decided to work with him because his collection fills a much-needed gap in the New Zealand market and is a perfect complement to our portfolio.”

This unique and fun approach to the business of eyewear quickly became apparent when Kim was asked about who his brand was aimed at. This sums it up, he said, brandishing a recent Albert I’mStein Facebook post reading, “We don’t have glasses for only men, for only women, for only young people, for only old people. We do have glasses for people enjoying fun and happy vibes, for people liking to make daily life more exciting,” written with bold capitals emphasising ‘fun’, ‘happy’ and ‘exciting’!

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Kim’s keen to stress that Albert I’mStein is not a luxury design brand, as he wanted a brand all people could afford. It shouldn’t matter if you’re a lawyer or a grocer, you should be able to afford to wear happy, beautiful frames, he said. “I like to break stereotypes.” Which is why the brand doesn’t conform to the conventional pattern of structured, seasonal range launches, but is constantly evolving, said Kim, with new designs added as they are developed by him and his eclectic mix of design consultants. Hailing from Scotland and Germany, plus a French intern, the team even includes a bathroom designer whose designs caught Kim’s eye. The Albert I’mStein range comprises around 24 models, each available in a variety of colour combinations, with a focus on titanium, acetate and combinations of the two. The aim is to add 10 new models each year, he said, adding how much he loves to see ‘happy glasses’ on people.

As to the brand’s name, ‘Stein’ was a nickname given to Kim by his friends when he was studying chemistry, and it reflects his passion for science. But mainly, it’s because it makes him smile, he said.