In 2024, Occhio celebrated its 25th anniversary. darc’s editor Sarah Cullen caught up with Axel Meise, Founder and Chief Designer, to find out more about the brand’s creation.

With the opening of its latest showroom in London in 2023, the German lighting brand, Occhio is firmly establishing its position in the world of lighting. With its distinctive sleek aesthetic and high spec technological developments in lighting quality and control, the brand has a bright future as a leader in the premium lighting field. What other brand could pull off the suave Mads Mikkelsen as the face of a large advertising campaign?

Light and product design seems to be an innate part of Axel Meise, who began designing during his studies in the 1970s. “I have been working with light my whole life,” he explains. “First it was a hobby – when I was a teenager I began creating lighting in my family’s home, in Düsseldorf. Then, in the early 1980s, I moved to Munich for my mechanical engineering studies, which I financed by selling my first lighting designs. During my studies, the technological change from incandescent to halogen happened. I saw the great potential of this new light source and decided to start my first venture to put my ideas into practice.

“At the time I was young and inexperienced, I made some mistakes and had to sell the company. I started all over again with my own lighting store and provided lighting consultancy for end-users and professionals. This was when I better understood what the customers wanted, what the market had to offer – and what was missing. I couldn’t find a system that covered all the needs of a lighting designer in one concept, in one quality, in one consistent design. So, I had to invent it myself.

“In 1999 I started Occhio. It was – and is – a disruptive, holistic concept, and was an instant success.”

When asked what fascinated him about light, Meise believes that it is the “source of life”.

“We’re often not aware of this, but light has a crucial influence on our mood and emotions. In the end, you could say, artificial light is a human cultural achievement.

Without light, even the most beautiful interior design wouldn’t be visible.”

He continues, describing the importance of lighting and its role within interior design: “Furthermore, we consider light to be the fourth dimension in space; with light, we can design rooms, set accents, stage highlights, create islands of light and lead the user through a room or space. And, by the way; with good light, the perception of the finest materials, structures and shapes chosen for the interior design can be enhanced. In other words, light sets the tone, without the right lighting design/scheme, every interior concept falls apart, every design piece would not come into its own.

“Our light should not illuminate a room but get a living space to shine. Light should create atmosphere that is tailored to the individual needs of the people, the rooms, the architecture and their surroundings.

“Moreover, controlling the light in the room or the whole building is extremely important. Why? As mentioned, light creates atmosphere, light affects our feelings and mood. Light should therefore be adaptable depending on the time of day, activity, and personal mood. That’s why the light in all our luminaires and ranges can be adjusted easily, intuitively and individually, especially when you opt for our Bluetooth based Occhio air App. We call it ‘joy of use’. But of course, you can connect Occhio products to the different home automation systems based on KNX or Dali as well.”

Meise has witnessed two of the largest developmental changes in lighting during his career. Notable, the introduction of halogen lamps in the 1980s and later the banning of incandescent lamps and phasing out of halogen. Meise reflects on the latter technological development as one of the best and worst things to happen to the industry. “At the beginning [of banning incandescent], our business model along with the entire industry was turned upside down. But it soon became the start of a rapid technological shift towards the new LED technology – and therefore to entirely new possibilities in design and control. We decided to develop the electronics for this new technology in our own: a very ambitious approach, but it paid off. With highly innovative, user oriented operating functions such as touchless control, up-down fading, and the Bluetooth-based Occhio air control system, we have also created distinctive features that make our products unique in the market.  In the end: LED became a game changer for us.”

Adapting with the evolving technology over the years, Occhio has managed to establish a clear aesthetic for the brand that blends inspirations from classic Italian lighting design with the well-versed attributes of German engineering – a concept that supports the origin of the brand’s name.

Meise has fostered Occhio’s distinguishable aesthetic by taking a “holistic approach” to his designs. “At Occhio, uniqueness is one of our core values” he explains. “Uniqueness in design, lighting quality and joy of use. Every series follows this path and are carefully curated by me. Generally, we take a holistic approach to design and our luminaire series is evidence of this: individually or as part of a connected system, Occhio luminaires unlock the power of light in every living situation. All our products can be combined seamlessly due to their consistent design and choice of surfaces, which blend puristic elegance with attention to detail.

“Occhio’s design philosophy has always been characterised by purism. With the new Luna luminaire series, we opened a new chapter – towards a significantly more stylish, emotional design language, yet without compromising on the unique quality of light and magical operation. 

“The two new highlights of the series include: Lunanova, which shows what is possible in this area and interprets the opulent theme of chandeliers in a completely new way.  The spherical appearance of the light object is an expressive statement and, together with the incredible lighting quality and unprecedented lighting effects, an absolute eye-catcher.

“Luna pura is Occhio’s first wireless luminaire, allowing the magical power of Luna anywhere, anytime. With infinitely variable dimming and a ‘colour tune’ gradient, the lighting atmosphere can be adjusted – from cool moonlight to the warm glow of a lamp, to romantic candlelight. A pura is rarely alone: one Luna pura is fascinating – multiple Luna pura are a new dimension of luxury and ease of use. Also, several of the luminaires can be controlled together via air sync – as if by magic.”

Part of remaining relevant in a fast-paced world is creating a product that is timeless and built to last. When it comes to trends, Meise promotes a long-term and sustainable approach to product design. “Trends come and go. The best lighting quality will always be key for the best possible perception of your ambience.  And with a growing choice of surfaces, we adapt our style options to the long-term trends in interior design.

“As mentioned above, people want to experience light in different ways, depending on their needs, their wishes, their moods. For us, this means that people want to be even more active, intuitive, and playful with light, and experience completely new ways of using light to shape their environment and enhance their well-being. With our holistic approach, our innovations and the comprehensive possibilities for control and interaction, Occhio already offers incredible possibilities. And we are already working flat-out on new concepts that you will be hearing about in the coming year.

“Let’s also talk about expectations; customers are paying more and more attention to sustainability. Occhio stands for high quality and timeless design and therefore long-lasting, sustainable products. Of course, people are expecting cutting edge technology and innovations, which Occhio can offer on a totally new level. But it goes far beyond the products, because at the end of the day our customers buy the light from Occhio, an experience, an added value to their life. This is our mission, to bring the new culture of light to the people because good light means quality of life.”

Reflecting on his work in Occhio’s portfolio, Meise is most pleased with his most recent collections. “Every single Occhio luminaire series, every one of its characteristic designs, fills me with great pride. But our latest models have a special status. The Gioia series (2022) really is our redefinition of table and reading lights. A truly incredible series – technically, creatively and functionally.

“Also, with the new Luna luminaire series, we have created a completely new icon. At the last Milan Design Week, we also presented our first chandelier – Lunanova. The spherical appearance of the light object is an expressive statement and, together with the incredible lighting quality and unprecedented lighting effects, it is an absolute eye-catcher of which I am very proud. And now – brand new, our fist wireless luminaire Luna pura. It allows you to experience the magical power of Luna anywhere – at any time.”

What are the next steps for the brand, what can we expect to see from Occhio moving forward? “If you decide to go for Occhio products, you will experience the future of light today in terms of design, lighting quality and especially regarding joy of use. Up-down fading, colour tune, gesture control, or the Occhio air app… this is a totally new way to interact with light.

“But, more generally, we see the future as not only in selling unique, highly innovative luminaires to our customers, we also see it in the idea of ‘Light by Occhio’. Our customers will increasingly opt for a holistic lighting experience that only we can offer. They buy into atmosphere, mood, and wellbeing. They will live the culture of light by Occhio by having their living spaces designed holistically with our light so they can fully enjoy its huge value and enrich their quality of life. Instead of saying ‘I have Occhio luminaires’, in future our customers will say: ‘My light is from Occhio’.

“As a European leader, we are one of the most innovative companies, which has developed from a German design icon into an international brand in the luxury segment. I am very proud of what we have achieved so far. But of course, our ambition is to become a global player and bring Occhio’s culture of light to more and more people in the world. Mission-wise, it has always been our goal to raise awareness of the role that good lighting plays in our lives and the important influence it has on our wellbeing. When customers tell me about their Occhio luminaires with shining eyes, it fills me with great pride.

“Light is passion, joy, and quality of life!”

www.occhio.com