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I t all began with a simple idea: a uniform, comprehensive system of luminaires
with freely combinable reflector heads that offers the optimum lighting solu -
tion for practically every situation in the residential and contract sectors. When
the first sketches for this groundbreaking product were created in Munich-Haid -
hausen in the mid-1990s, the inventors Axel Meise and Christoph Kügler probably did
not yet suspect that this business idea would become the foundation for one of
the most innovative and fastest-growing companies on the international lighting
market. The Occhio body/head luminaire system was not only the starting signal
for the company, founded in 1999, but in a way has also served as the blueprint for
its still valid recipe for success. Company founder Axel Meise puts it this way: "We
market few systems and not many individual luminaires. This allows us to go much
deeper into every detail and focus on product quality, but also on product presen -
tation and marketing." Three elementary components have always been particularly
important. First and foremost, Meise places special emphasis on design, the lumi-
naire should "enrich a room without being obtrusive, blend in well with any interior
design". Likewise, lighting quality is a crucial criterion, "because good light signi -
fies quality of life". Last but not least, according to Meise, the way this light is handled
is also decisive, "the way it interacts with space, architecture and the needs of the
users. For me, light must be individually adaptable and variable." Only when these
three requirements are met do the various luminaires offer the user the "joy of use"
typical of Occhio.

Market leader through ever new innovations

If the Occhio luminaire system was already a first step in the right direction, then the
Sento luminaire family was probably the first major milestone for Meise and his team.
The likewise modular system quickly developed into a bestseller and can now justifi-
ably be considered a classic. The model impressed with convincing innovations and
unconditional user orientation. At the same time, the luminaire was also a further
step forward in terms of design. In particular, the clean, minimalist design, in which
the focus is not on the luminaire but above all on the light, is almost the archetype for
Occhio's subsequent luminaire models. Then the next milestone: with the ban on light
bulbs and the introduction of LED illuminants, a rapid technological change away
from halogen to LED luminaires began. For Occhio this was the beginning of a new
era. The first LED lighting system Più was already launched in 2010, which was partic-
ularly impressive due to its very high light quality. Thanks to intelligent operating func-
tions such as touchless control or up/down fading and the unique light quality, Occhio
Axel Meise mit der kreisförmigen Mito Sospeso • Axel Meise with the circular Mito Sospeso luminaire developed into a comprehensive LED supplier in the premium segment in the follow-
ing years. However, the company achieved its masterstroke in 2017 when it launched
the Mito luminaire series. Linear or ring-shaped ceiling, pendant and floor lamps now
made it possible to bring Occhio's design and lighting quality to completely new areas
of application. Occhio's own design vocabulary, which runs through all these prod-
ucts, is no coincidence. The company exclusively relies on in-house designs, so it does
not – as is usual with other manufacturers – call in external designers for individual
projects, but concentrates on its own, consistent product portfolio.
A new culture of light – building a brand

Erster Occhio-Flagshipstore in München • First Occhio flagship store in Munich Innovations and a uniform presentation are part of the brand essence at Occhio – not
only in the technical or design area, but also in sales and marketing. In addition to the
costly advertising campaign – including a two-and-a-half-minute film in cinema quali-
ty – Occhio opened its first own flagship store in Munich in 2008; since then stores
have also been added in Cologne and Hamburg. Here, as with the great role model
Apple, the salesroom is celebrated as part of the product portfolio. At the same time,
Occhio luminaires are available from over 300 exclusive specialist retail partners in
Germany and Austria. Occhio also operates outside Europe with steadily growing suc-
cess. Since autumn 2019 Occhio stores have represented the company in Guangzhou
and Mumbai. Yet despite this extraordinary entrepreneurial achievement, company
founder Axel Meise is primarily concerned with one thing: the further development of
the product. "For me, the future of light is always associated with added value for the
user. The LED age is opening up new technological possibilities that would have been
unthinkable in the past. At Occhio we make extensive use of these possibilities, thus
creating a completely new, intuitive and playful interaction with our luminaires and
their light. I am convinced that good light will make an increasingly important contri-
bution to the quality of life. We call this a new culture of light!"

028 • AIT 3.2020