Amazing Eyewear was there at Copenhagen Specs, the independent eyewear show

Copenhagen, -10°C in the sunlight. We button up our coats, wrap ourselves up in our scarves, and we’re off! At the doors to the event, we are wide-eyed, even though we knew we wouldn’t be disappointed, given the venue they have chosen – it really is something else.

This old train repair warehouse is superb. With its high ceilings and wide aisles bathed in light, we feel like we are definitely in the right place.

We can finally take our coats off: it feels good to be here and out of the cold. We have discovered the archetypal Danish hygge that everyone has been telling us so much about. The atmosphere is calm and down-to-earth and we are soon in good spirits. We are here to see the Lokomotivværkstedet, that’s true, but we did also come for the glasses!

And luckily for us, when it comes to glasses, this place is full of them. But this is no  industrial-scale communications operation where everyone is competing to think up new ways to get our attention. No, here we only see large wooden stands, with Katrine Ring, the DJ who played last year, taking care of the musical ambiance. Brands are all on the same level, leaving us free to appreciate the products on their own merit.

Forget the freezing weather! There is warmth here with artisans, designers, brand creators… the close-knit world of independent glasses manufacture makes for a friendly, and above all fascinating, exchange of ideas. It goes without saying that the Nordic brands are out in force, but many independent designers have also traveled here or have sent a local representative to the event. There is so much to discover, and we take note of a few gems we’ll be telling you about very soon…

Denmark is the land of eyewear where big brands such as Orgreen and Lindberg came into being. The latter takes great pride in this tradition, and is running conferences for students with the designer from SALT. However that does not mean that the professionals have been forgotten: they also have their own conferences on the latest trends, both in glasses manufacture and in eyewear stores.

But alas, we’ve already come to the end. The show closes its doors and we have to catch our plane. However, if you want to relive the experience you can visit our Instagram, where we have posted some memorable moments.