The story of Res Rei
by Mathias Stering on Sep 07, 2022
Olivero Zanon founded the Italian brand RES REI in 2011, and has an office in his hometown of Treviso, which is just outside of Venice. The Latin word RES REI means "the thing," or in Swedish "saken". The meaning of the choice of name is that it is an existing object, with substance and form; but it also means a concept, an idea. RES/REI is today a global brand with a local focus. They believe in creating frames that stand for their values, quality, durability and history.
Olivero Zanon grew up in a family that valued art and Italian culture. He received his university education at an art and design school in London where the focus was on learning the entire process of a production, and after his studies he worked as an industrial designer for an American design company. After a time with large multinational companies as clients, Olivero missed the more intimate meetings with people, being able to create personal products. The glasses business became the solution to his problems. With the start-up RES REI, he found the opportunity to control the entire process and interact with people at all levels – from subcontractors to end customers.
Together with the Italian designer Umberto Mischi, Olivero created the brand RES REI with daring collections in an otherwise classically marked industry. They found inspiration from Italian history, art, sculptures and music resulting in bows of fantastic quality that are unique and aesthetically beautiful with combinations of both patterns and color choices you won't find anywhere else.
RES REI has chosen to place its entire production in Italy for three reasons. Working only with local manufacturers makes it easier to control quality and visit both suppliers and factories every week. A completely local production also means less transport, which reduces the brand's carbon footprint. Then, of course, Italian craftsmanship and heritage is something that Olivero values incredibly highly. Several of the world's leading brands in the optical industry/retail trade can be found from that very event within a few square kilometers of their hometown, in the heart of Italy.
