Farben. The handicraft eyewear
Our firm is a small handicraft workshop, which has been crafting and styling glasses in the sector of prescriptions and sunglasses for over 60 years. Our firm nestles in the Dolomites in Vigo di Cadore, in the very heart of the Italian Dolomites. This area is the real cradle of the Italian eyewear craft. History of the surroundings, nature and the environment give us inspiration and provide us with raw materials out of which our glasses are made. Unique, original and authentic collectors items, our glasses are hand crafted with passion.
A family story
In 1962 young and enthusiastic Giordano Frescura with his wife Adolfa and his brother Carlo decide on starting up an eyewear factory in the little town where they were born; a small (craft) family shop located on the ground floor of their house. They call it Farben (Far ben) “do well”, a name and a warrantee to be reminded of a proper way of working and handling their products. From that day lots of things have changed: shapes, colours, materials, fashions and customers. What has remained unchanged is their passion and care for every single pair of glasses strictly (absolutely) hand crafted in their factory. Simone and Daniele – sons of Giordano and Adolfa – have grown up in that same workshop and have now taken over the business, same as ever. Watching and learning from their parents, they both have learned how to love the craft of eyewear making and the best way to exploit materials offered by our environment (Dolomites). The firm today is not very different from the one it used to be. It has – of course – followed the evolution of times, fashion and family, though no genuine identity was lost.
The glasses
Petals of mallow, marigold, marjoram, stinging nettles, cornflowers, daisies as well as ferns, mosses, tobacco, ground coffee and flour are some of the materials which ornate and enrich Farben glasses. Most of them are “gifts” from the unique flora and biodiversity of the Dolomites area. The Frescura family has devised a process to include all these materials into the glass frames. Flowers, leaves and plants maintain and express the Dolomites real essence in their bright and vivid colours even after processing. Harmony and untouched beauty of the Dolomites affect the whole process of product creation, from the choice of materials to the use of energy exclusively from renewable sources. Each Farben glass is processed though 60 stages which make it an absolute unique expression of made in Italy. The same as 60 years ago.
The green heart
Each Farben glass has a story to tell – sometimes more than one. It’s about the craftsman who created it, choosing shapes and materials and most of all it tells the story of the valley where time has stopped in the process of this craft. Farben glasses are processed within a small area of only 8 km: short supply chain, recycling of materials and the respect of the environment. The whole processing cycle of our firm is completely ecofriendly. We actually use green energy in the total respect of the environment. Our packaging is totally natural and 100% recyclable. Each Farben glass is protected by a hand stitched felt case and packed into a “Kraft” paper case.
