When we started Denon Eyewear, we had a name and not much else. No logo, no imagery, just "Denon Eyewear," one color idea (navy blue), and a founding vision: a luxury brand conveyed in a chic way that didn't require explanation.
We also knew we wanted it to look nothing like the existing brands in the market, so that it would be truly ours.
A friend in Paris
That's when my wife, Milica, mentioned her childhood friend Zoe Nellen. The two had stayed in contact for many years, and Milica spoke about how talented Zoe was and how passionate she was about design. Zoe was living in Paris at the time, studying at Parsons Paris, and she was open to helping us with our project.
The Denon logo: one call, one draft
Zoe dreamed it all up after one intro call about the meaning behind our company and what we one day wanted it to be.
The DE inside the diamond was an incredible touch, and the font worked. It was mind-blowing in our eyes.
When she showed us the two diamonds, we immediately fell in love. There was no second round. She landed it on the first draft.
The Denon Eyewear brand imagery
From there we asked her for visual imagery for our website and social media, and that's where the rest of our brand's look came from: the concept illustrations, the colorways, and the technical drawings.
Measured to the tenth of a millimeter
Aside from the logo, my favorite piece is her technical drawing with her color notes in the margins. It's a nod to the attention to detail and the rounds of sampling we go through before we launch any new product.
Her early process and design mindset helped set the tone for what it takes to create a great product. You can see that drawing on our values page.
Creative freedom, then and now
My dad and my sister Sophie were involved in the drafts and imagery, but we gave Zoe total creative freedom.
We apply the same mentality to our business today. If we engage in a partnership in any way, it's out of full confidence in that partner, so there is no need to meddle or micromanage. Our brand imagery is what it is because we gave Zoe the space to be creative and take it wherever she wanted to go.
Where the diamonds live today
Every retailer, every poster, every frame case, and the end of every temple: the diamonds sit at the very outside bottom of every pair. It still feels surreal to me.
Not only because of how far we've come, but because of how special the early days of this company were.
We started this thing with only the few resources we had: family relationships, an obsession with creating a great product, and faith in each other.
Julian Tallier, Co-Founder, Denon Eyewear New York
From our diamonds to Milan
Zoe has a natural talent for design and fashion, and her resume now confirms what I knew when I first spoke with her: she's an exceptional talent.
She went on to earn a Master's in Accessory Design at the Institut Français de la Mode, worked in women's leather goods at Loewe in Paris, and joined Prada Group in Milan, where she is now a Junior Designer of Women's Bags.
Overall, it's been an amazing experience to witness something you make become something concrete actually physically printed and used by a brand, and to create an aesthetic for someone else. I am excited to see where this will go.
Zoe Nellen, speaking to Parsons Paris in 2021
She is incredibly talented, but what has always stood out to me is her character and respect. Even in those early days we were grateful she took the project on, and she continued to support us through her network for years after.
The short version
Two diamonds, one intro call, one draft. Five years later, Zoe's hand is on every pair we make.
Sky is the limit for Zoe Nellen.
