The Contour of Luxury: Fantastical Holiday Gifts Fall/Winter 2020 | Page 52

Alexis Day

Roland , you offer the “ little boy ” in all men of wealth high-quality , flawless , whimsical creations , by turning mundane objects like a belt buckle into masterful , sophisticated devices . What was it that originally led you up the path into a career in an industry of luxury mechanical objects ?

Roland Iten

I worked for many years in the fashion industry , where the relentless pace and constant need for seasonal change dictated that accessories were made the cheapest possible way — even if they were launched under the most prestigious label . This was very frustrating for me and seemed unauthentic . When I received my first project to design watches , I entered a totally different world where longevity is the overriding objective . Then I asked myself the question- why not produce belt buckles , cufflinks and other men ’ s accessories with the same practices , materials and sophisticated attention to detail as applied in the manufacture of watches ? This was 20 years and 30 collections ago . The rest is history .