JUN TERAO: MY WORK GIVES ME MOMENTS OF HAPPINESS

“When I see that the glasses I’ve designed first become prototypes and then products; when I see that those products are welcomed with enthusiasm during their exhibition previews; when I see them being sold in so many stores; when I meet people on the street who are wearing a pair...all this is the highest level of gratification for the work I do. This is exactly what my work is all about...it gives me moments of happiness”. These are the words offered by Jun Terao in response to the question about what his work means to him.

Important words. Words that express the emotions of a work steeped in passion.

Jun Terao is Product Manager and Chief Designer of the De Rigo Group for Japan and Asia, a key area for the eyewear industry, where he manages product research and development and, of course, product design. He is assisted by a team comprising two designers and a quality control manager.

For Jun Terao, researching design and the quality of materials is the perfect alchemy for meeting the requirements of an increasingly demanding Asian market with a strong desire to own high-end products. The meticulous attention he pays to choosing the materials is the founding principle of his work, considering that titanium is the most common metal used for eyewear in Japan. He is also highly focused on the preferences of the Asian consumer, acknowledging people’s tastes and considering how these can be met when making new styles. His task also consists in personalising the product as effectively as possible, based on the material, the fit and the design of the international collections, as well as offering new, specific products for every brand of the De Rigo Group.

Although he is particularly busy at work, Jun Terao dedicates most of his spare time to his family. He spends his weekends with them, finding time to both recharge his batteries and show them all his love. And this same essence of sharing is essentially present in everything he does. There is only one hobby that Jun Terao keeps for himself. Running. It’s the only time when he finds himself alone with his thoughts. And it is only when he runs that his thoughts are released too, free to inspire him with ideas for a new collection. For Jun Terao, running is also about constant training. It continuously provides him with the momentum to do what he intends to do as, eight years on from his first starting pistol, he sets off on a new marathon, time and time again.

In the meantime he works, because work is the thing that comes most naturally to him, a gesture that allows him to seek, and find, new moments of happiness.