How do you divide roles?
Anastasia: Though it was me who came up with the glasses, I'm a trained jeweller. So during the making process, I found my limits. That's when Pavel stepped in. He's a motion designer but has some manual skills and technical reason that I lack. He completely revitalised the work.
Do you also collaborate?
Pavel: We both design the glasses, and we try to push each other's limits. Yet some boundaries are fixed; for instance, we aren't able to make an exact copy of a piece, there are always minute differences. But that's the beauty of handmade, bespoke work.
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What is your creative approach?
A: I'm fascinated by the time before the industrial revolution when glasses were made by goldsmiths; they were a sort of jewellery. P: Glasses are more than a medical tool. That's why we always try to understand the customer's personality.
What about your jewellery?
A: There's always a theme. The Voyinich collection is based on drawings of fictitious flowers in a 15th century manuscript, while Comet explores the relationship between a comet's body and tail, and Baroque draws on the complexity of once fancy textiles. But remember, glasses are jewellery too!