Interview with Johanna Skans

Founder and CEO of SKANS

Parisee -. In order to introduce yourself, could you please explain to me how you started to design some glasses ? For how long have you been an eyewear designer ?

J. Skans-. With 20 years of experience across various roles in the eyewear industry, I developed a clear vision of the styles I wanted to create. My aim has always been to design contemporary, timeless pieces with an urban edge—minimalistic looks that feel like a piece of jewelry. I wanted to design effortlessly contemporary frames, with high comfort with minimal impact on the environment.

I design primarily from my apartment in Copenhagen, drawing inspiration from the vibrant neighborhood around me. As a Swede living in Denmark with Finish heritage, my designs reflect a strong Nordic influence—clean, minimalistic, and functional.

I wouldn’t necessarily call myself an eyewear designer, but I’ve seen many spectacles over the years. I’ve worked as an eyewear purchaser, European product manager, store manager, and optometrist. I’ve drawn from all of these experiences in creating our collection—a range of slow-fashion eyewear, handcrafted by the best artisans in the industry, with minimal impact on the environment.

Parisee -. When did you launch your own brand ? Can you tell me more about the story of this project ?

J. Skans-. Skans was founded in August 2022 and officially launched in November the same year. However, the idea took place years earlier when I noticed a significant lack of environmental friendly eyewear in contemporary styles. In 2020, I pursued academic studies in Business Sustainability Management, which led me to a role at B Corporation, a global organization that certifies companies for their environmental and social impact. Skans was born from the desire to use business as a force for good, using eyewear as a catalyst to spark those conversations to drive positive change in the eyewear industry. Aiming to run an optical business in harmony with nature.

Parisee -. How can eyewear be a tool to solve planetary challenges ? Which are the main changes you would like to bring to the eyewear industry ?

J. Skans-.“It’s only one pair of eyewear, said 8 billion people”. Imagine if every pair of eyewear were crafted from recycled materials and designed to last for decades. Think of the waste and carbon emissions we could prevent, and how much better that would be for future generations, allowing them to thrive on a healthier planet.

Eyewear can serve as a tool to inspire conscious consumption and spark sustainable decisionmaking. By promoting carbon and waste-minimal eyewear, we can engage and invite customers, optical stores, distributors, manufacturers, and optical chains to become part of the solution to tackle planetary challenges, to be ambassadors for products that do good for the planet.

The main changes I’d like to bring is to accelerate the speed for stopping extracting raw material, and stop generating excessive waste and leave a heavy carbon footprint. The industry needs to replace virgin fossil fuel based materials like acetate with recycled options.

Parisee -. What are the main solutions implemented by Skans to reduce its impact on the environment ?

J. Skans-. When it comes to our products, everything begins with the design process. We create timeless styles meant to withstand changing fashion trends. We prioritize using recycled materials to reduce raw material extraction. Our products are hand crafted in recycled stainless steel, with minimal carbon and waste footprint, and which can be recycled.

Production is kept to small, on-demand batches, with a simplified approach—our entire collection utilizes similar components, like temples and hinges, maintaining a cohesive and minimal approach. Everything is manufactured in Europe.

We invest 2% of our profit into social and environmental initiatives. To keep our approach straightforward, we minimize unnecessary packaging and waste, opting for removing any unnessesary packaging and reusing window displays across stores.

Parisee -. What were the main challenges in developing Skans ? What are you the most proud of ?

J. Skans-. The main challenge in developing Skans, ex has been to convince store owners to transition into the most sustainable version of themselves. People are reluctant to change. There are many followers and few leaders. People are waiting for others to start.

I am most proud of receiving the Silmos CSR Award, The Optibox Award and for being a Certified B Corporation with the highest BIA score (133,6) among all B Certified Eyewear brands globally.

Parisee -. What would be your next step ? Do you have some new project you can tell me about ?

J. Skans -. Next step is to expand into selected markets, aiming to inspire more optical businesses to join the sustainable journey by selling frames made of recycled materials and to educate more impact leaders in the industry.

In just a few years, SKANS has become a go-to brand for those looking to combine fashion with sustainability. By developing eyewear made from recycled materials with a minimalist and functional design, Johanna Skans proves that sustainability can go hand in hand with aesthetics and quality.